Sicario
by Fee18
Summary: Sofia Bianchi's life was as normal as it got for a mob boss's daughter, until one fateful night a hit man entered her house and changed her life forever. Will Sofia survive this new life trapped with HIM? Will she be able to seek revenge?
1. Chapter 1 A Close Call

Sicario

Chapter 1 – A Close Call

_Hidden deep in the Appalachian Mountains, lived a society of assassins. Like the Spartans of Greece, they trained both their men and their women from childhood how to perfect the arts of quiet entry, quick execution, and a fast get away._

_ The society known as the Alpalates is governed by a main Chief. Though rule is inherited through generation, the village can vote for another member of the village to assume the responsibilities._

_ The myth of the Apalates comes from Northern Italy, where the secret village is said to hide deep in the mountains. Many explorers have searched in vain for the village. Most were never seen again. They were said to have gotten lost in the high peaks and perished in the freezing cold._

I closed the book my father gave me and laughed. Why he would give me a book on legends and myths, I could never fathom. It's not like I had any use for them.

My father, though I love him dearly, I could never agree with his life style. At least he wasn't gay. That would be an awkward explanation on how my brother and I came to be. He didn't sleep around either. Well, that I was aware of. He and my mother were happily married, so they seemed to be. In fact, I might have been happier if those were the least of my worries.

My father was a high up member of a New York City mob, the third worse thing for a person's child to grow up and become. But what was even worse, is that terrible child had two children that are in constant danger. He never let me out of the house without a bodyguard and a bullet-proof limo. I never got to just "hang" with friends for fear of my life.

For my schooling, he hired tutors to come to our mansion to teach us academics and whatever else our hearts desired. At the door, they were patted down and thoroughly checked by two huge burly looking men, wearing black suits. They seemed to be used to it, apparently it was their norm, teaching high profile children.

Along with our academics, my brother, Austin and I were forced to learn how to defend ourselves in any way possible. From judo, to fencing, and from shooting a riffle, to target practice with an old fashioned bow and arrow. Okay, so the bow was brand new freshly manufactured from the factory, it was still an ancient past time. Especially when there is high-tech search and destroy equipment. The fencing we didn't really need, but it was the only way I agreed to learn how to shoot a gun. I hated guns, they were loud, heavy, and they killed people. They were even known to misfire and kill the person holding it, either by just not firing and they get shot, or they somehow explode.

When Austin turned twenty-five two years prior to when this story took place, he became my father's apprentice and would inherit his 'business'. Whatever it was, I wanted no part of it. Dad tried to get me involved, and I was interested until I turned fifteen, then I saw what this life was really about. All the drugs, the shooting, the secrecy, it just wasn't for me.

I wanted to move out of the house at eighteen to get away from the danger of being around the gang, but Father made me stay saying it would be even more dangerous to be on my own away from bodyguards. I didn't understand why I was in more danger living on a different continent than living right in the spotlight.

Yes, I loved my family, but I hated their way. I know what you're thinking, 'Poor little rich girl doesn't like dirty money.' I tell you this: I would rather have nothing and live under a bridge in a cardboard box than constantly have my life threatened. I had been shot three times, stabbed twice and nearly raped. I was only twenty.

"Are you ready, Sofia?" Devlyn, my assigned body guard asked.

He was a very large man, not fat, but very muscular. He probably played defense on his high school football team. He stood around five-nine, with short, sandy brown hair and blue eyes, one of the very few non-Italian members of the gang. He was in his mid thirties with a wife and two children. His oldest was a boy around eight, who loved to terrorize his five-year-old sister. I would babysit them on most Friday nights so he could take his wife out on dates. Normally they would have to stay at the mansion, seeing as I was without a bodyguard for the night. I talked Dad into making two of the guest rooms in my hall into children's rooms so they could stay the night.

"I guess. Papa will be mad if I missed dinner again," I replied.

We were in a coffee shop called "Bel Caffè." It was a cute little shop with white tiled floors, little round tables made from dark wood and green cushioned chairs that had dark wooden backs. The walls were painted yellow with green trim. Fancy brass fixtures held dimly lit lights that imitated the glow of candles. Devlyn and I sat at a tiny table toward the back of the room, away from the crowd.

I liked to come here to get away from the house and read while sipping on a French-vanilla capuchino. Of course, Devlyn had to follow me where ever I went. A few times I tried to lose him, but he ended up finding me, flipped me over his shoulder, carried me to the car, and brought me home lecturing me the whole way. Once I returned home, I got a long, loud lecture from my father and a final one from my brother. If I didn't know that Austin was the spawn from our father's loins, I would have sworn they were the same person, one just a lot younger than the other.

As we exited the coffee shop, a man grabbed me from behind and pressed a pistol to my head. "Drop it or I'll shoot her," he said to Devlyn, who had his gun raised before I could even react. The man's voice was husky, like talking took a lot of effort.

"If you have an issue, take it up with the Duke," Devlyn growled.

The 'Duke' was my father. A nickname he had since he was little. Why they called him that, I didn't know.

"What good would it do to kill him? It won't get me my money. No, I want to prove a point, so I'll kill her to be sure he gets the message."

I flinched as I heard the gun cocking next to my ear. A survey showed that the most terrifying sound in the world was the sound a gun made when you pulled back the hammer. Well, actually it was a shotgun cocking, but there wasn't much of a difference in that moment.

There was a sharp whizz, the sound a silenced pistol made, as blood splattered on my face. The grip on my neck loosened as the man's body fell to the ground. I stood there, unmoving. My body was shaking uncontrollably. Tears threatened to fall down my face. This has happened way too many times, and yet I could never get used to it.

"Sofia?" Devlyn asked softly, "Are you alright?"

I nodded my head, and then looked down at the man. I knew I shouldn't have, but curiosity always got the best of me. He was definitely Italian decent. The dark skin on his face was un-shaven and dirty. His dark curly hair was matted with blood from a hole in his forehead. The back of his head seemed to be missing, its remnants spread on the sidewalk and on me. My stomach turned and threatened to lurch its contents as I studied the body.

"We should go, the cops will be here soon," Devlyn suggested.

I nodded my head again, but still didn't move. Devlyn touched my arm, his grasp making me jump a mile.

"Let's go," he repeated gently.

The limo turned the corner just in time, stopping in front of us. It was the typical black, with dark windows. Devlyn helped me inside the black leather interior, and then climbed in the other door.

As the limo sped through the streets, I finally came to my wits. Devlyn noticed this and looked at me uncomfortably. He knew what was coming.

"What the hell were you thinking? You could have hit me, or he could have pulled the trigger on instinct! And look, you got his brain in my hair! There's blood all over me!" I ranted.

No I'm not vain. I was venting my shock and Devlyn understood this. He was silent during my outburst. He knew me well enough to know that it was the only way my brain could cope with what had transpired.

"Your welcome," he smiled, wiping blood from my face with his sleeve, like it was going to help anything.

I sighed, "Thank you."

Come to find out, the man's name was Antonius Billings. My dad owed him a great deal of money. I'm sure he owed a lot of people money. To him, this was just one less debt he had to pay. It's not that he didn't care; it was an everyday occurrence in the life of a mob boss.

"Sofia," my brother knocked on my bathroom door.

I was in the shower scrubbing blood and brains out of my hair. The clothes I wore I threw in the trash. It seemed that no matter how much soap I used, I still couldn't get this guy's guts off of my body.

"Father wants to see you when you are finished."

I didn't answer, he understood. All the thugs came after me to get to our father. It was definitely a hard life being the daughter of a member of the mafia.

Twenty minuets later, I stepped out of the shower. The bathroom was attached to my room, but had another door leading into the hall. The walls were painted a turquoise blue with white trim and flooring. Brown decorative rugs sat in front of the shower and sink. The counter was white with the same color turquoise cupboards underneath. The large room was lit by a simple globe fixture in the middle of the white ceiling. Another fixture sat above the mirror for better lighting. I loved this bathroom, I designed it myself.

"You wanted to see me, Father?" I asked icily, entering his study.

It was a large room with wine colored walls that were mostly hidden by book cases and hutches. The floor was covered in dark cherry tinted wood with gold and wine colored throw rugs. His desk was made of dark colored wood. It was a perfect rectangle, the top over hanging the base. Behind the main desk another huge computer desk, that reached the ceiling, stood. Two cupboards filled the top. A huge hutch held a large cabinet where he hid a small arsenal of guns. Of course, it was only a small portion of what he actually owned, these were his most prized possessions. Beside the cupboards stood glass cases where he displayed knickknacks and antiques. Two windows, surrounding the computer desk, were covered in golden drapes, tied back with wine colored sashes. A brown leather couch sat to the right of the room, the hutch on the left.

My father sat behind his desk in a dark brown leather computer chair. In front of the desk stood a matching chair but without the wheels and a smaller back.

"Are you alright?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

"Yes," I replied simply. I couldn't let it get to me that was the trick.

"Are you really?" his gaze bore into me as he walked toward me. He wasn't seeing me, but seeing though me, past my barriers and into my soul. I was his daughter, he knew me well.

My resolve snapped and I broke down crying. My legs gave out as I fell to the floor. My dad swiftly caught me as I landed. He lifted my small frame effortlessly, and carried me over to the couch. He sat me in his lap and hugged me tightly. In times like this, it was hard to stay mad at my father, because I knew I wasn't just collateral damage, I was his daughter who was in constant danger because of him.

"Father, Martin is here to see you," Austin walked in.

"Send him my condolences, but I'm a bit busy at the moment," our dad answered, still petting my wet hair.

"He's here concerning Sofia."

"Oh," dad replied, "Send him in."

Martin Bishop was the only man my father answered to. He was the boss of their gang. My father, obviously was right under him, which would have made him the 'under boss' in the mob hierarchy. But my father was special, he was also the consigliere seeing as the original had recently disappeared. It was obvious, but went unspoken that he had been killed, probably on Bishop's orders.

"I'll take her," Austin offered, holding out his arms.

My father lifted my weight of one-hundred-and-five pounds as if I were a mere child. Both my father and brother were very muscular. They looked almost identical. The only difference was the flecks of gray in my father's light brown hair. And of course, the usual age difference in the face. Also the mischievous glint in Austin's greenish-brown eyes. Mom said that Dad used to have the same glint, but then he got old.

I looked more like my mother, with darker brown hair and burnt sienna eyes. My frame was petite. My mom was short like me, but very well curved. Not curved to be considered fat, but there was definitely some "junk" in her "trunk." I inherited the curves, but I wasn't as curvy as my mother.

My dad had the olive skin from being Italian. My mom was a mix of French, Irish, and Italian. Austin and I only inherited the ability to get a really nice tan easily, and without burning.

"Phillip, Austin, how are you?" Bishop entered the room.

He was an older man, in his fifties, with salt and pepper hair cut short, and chocolate brown eyes. He stood just short of six-foot, but was heavier set.

My father was now sitting behind his desk while Austin cradled me in his arms on the couch. I had finally stopped crying, but my body still shook uncontrollably.

"We'll be fine," My father answered.

"Is Sophia alright?"

He glanced at me, "More or less."

"Is she injured?"

"Not physically. Devlyn saved her life."

"Where is he?"

"I sent him home to his family."

"Who was it?"

"Antonius Catalina," My brother answered.

"I'll take care of it," Bishop left to do, whatever it was he was going to do.

"Are you hungry?" Austin looked down at me.

I thought of the brains splattered on my face and in my hair, the gooey mix of blood and cerebellum oozing onto the sidewalk. I was far from hungry. In fact, I felt like throwing up.

"No" I answered barely above a whisper.

"We should get you to bed, you look exhausted."

Austin carried me to my room. It was fairly large and came with its own bathroom as did all the rooms. I designed it myself as well. The walls were painted a medium purple, while the trim was a dark purple. The ceiling was a lavender color. Black strings that were tied to glow-in-the-dark stars and planets hung from the ceiling, making you feel like you were in space when the lights were out.

The furniture, I had my father buy second hand. Of course, under his protest, but that was the theme. It was all old Victorian style, sanded down and painted with silver spray paint so that it had a metallic glint to it. The queen sized bed was made of rod iron, also painted silver. The fragile gauze canopy was died black. The hangings were tied to the posts, revealing a black comforter with silver swirl patterns. The carpet was also black. The curtains were specially made to match the comforter.

Austin tucked me under the blankets, making sure I was warm. "Where's mom?" I asked.

"Still out," Austin replied.

Our mother went out with friends almost every night now that Austin and I were grown up. Tonight was movie night. Tomorrow was dancing. She would bring Dad along on these nights. He protested, but took her to a romantic dinner beforehand. They would come home still dancing then spend the rest of the night in their room, doing unimaginable things that were the reason for my brother and me being here.

"She should be home soon," Austin added

"Tell her I'll see her in the morning."

He kissed my brown and left the room.

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	2. Chapter 2 Reveal the Monster

Sicario

Chapter 2 – Reveal the Monster

A few weeks passed. Things went back to normal. I was finally allowed to leave the prison like mansion my father grounded me to 'for my protection'. Of course, I wasn't without Devlyn or a bullet proof limo. It didn't matter, at least I was free. Well, at least as free as my life got. I didn't know what Bishop did, but the hits stopped for the moment. Even my father's life hadn't been threatened which was the norm after a hit attempt. He would usually receive a threatening phone call or note. A few times, hit men actually broke into our house, but were killed by our guards. Nope, things were going good for once.

Or so I thought.

A loud crash coming from somewhere in the house startled me out of my sleep. I looked up at my stars; they were barely glowing in the darkness. Just a few blots of green could be seen. It had to be late.

I quietly opened my bedroom door and tiptoed through the entranceway. Nothing was awry in my corridor. I stalked through the dimly lit halls in search of the noise. The red carpet made a path for me to follow. The dark wooden walls were almost glowing as they reflected the dim light coming from adjustable fixtures. Glass was spread all over the red carpet in the hall that led to my parents' wing. A window was shattered. Someone had broken in. I thought Bishop had taken care of things. Who was Billings working for? He must have been powerful to be able to afford a hit attempt of this caliber.

The door to my parents' room was ajar. I crept over, avoiding the glass, and peered inside. The dim light from the hall illuminated my father's still body on the bed. My mother lay on the floor, blood pooling around her body. Her pale face looked up at me. Her sienna eyes were wide with horror. They were a reflection of my eyes, of my horror. Her lungs were frantically moving to gain one last breath. Her lips moved to speak, but no sound came out. "Run" was the movement she was frantically trying to shout, but her voice was gone. Her lungs stopped moving. She was dead.

I covered my mouth to prevent a scream from escaping my throat. I turned and fled toward Austin's room, stopping abruptly when I heard commotion from inside. The brass door handle began to twist. I ran into a spare bathroom in the next corridor, knocking a vase over in my haste. It had sat on a little round table in the hall, holding beautiful white calla lilies. The beautiful flowered ceramic shattered onto the floor, the noise sounding like thousands of gunshots in the silent house.

I backed up to the far wall, trying to hide in the darkness. The lights turned on, revealing a tall man that stood before me. His toned torso showed through the tight sweater he wore. Metal that belonged to various weapons were slightly visible underneath his black duster. His face was covered with paint only making his amber colored eyes visible. His hair was hidden by a black beanie.

"They never said anything about a daughter," his Italian accent hummed. His smooth deep voice sounded like music to my ears, "No matter."

His hand that held a gun rose, pointing it in my direction. I groped around for a weapon, not taking my eyes off of the perpetrator. My hand found nothing but a bar of soap. I held it up anyway.

"What are you going to accomplish with that?" he snickered. I threw the bar as hard as I could, hitting him in the head, "Ouch, you bitch!" he yelled.

While he was disoriented, I ducked past him and ran down the hall. As I reached the stairs, I felt a body plow into mine. We both went tumbling down the stairs, our bodies rolling over each other's as they bounced off of each step.

When we landed, he was on top of me, his face close to mine. Some of his hair escaped his hat hanging in black silky strands in my eyes. He was heavy, but in no way fat. I could feel his muscles tensing as he moved. He smelled of old spice cologne and the masculine scent men had no matter what they used to cover it up.

"So, there is some fight in you, I like that," he purred into my right ear.

"I don't think you will like it when I do this," I kneed him in the groin and rolled him off of me.

Flipping myself to a standing position, I took off running, not daring to look back to make sure he actually was disoriented. I didn't get two steps before a hand wrapped around my ankle causing me to fall onto the marble floor. He crawled onto my back, pinning my body beneath his.

"You're right, I didn't like that, but I know you won't like this."

He pulled my head back by my hair, pressing a blade to my throat. Before he could drag it across my skin, the sound of sirens filled our ears. The driveway was filled with screeching tires as the cops pulled in. He had tripped the alarm when he broke the window. Dad should have made it a loud alarm instead of silent; perhaps it would have scared him off and saved our lives. He quickly stood up, dragging me with him, while still holding the blade to my flesh.

"Not a sound," he whispered, pulling me into a coat closet. He held a hand over my mouth for good measure.

Seconds later, a loud bang erupted. I assumed it was the front door being smashed in. It was such a beautiful door too, made of thick, solid oak. Hand carved vines decorated the panes. The clicking noise of guns being cocked was muffled behind the wood of the closet door. It was carved to match the main entrance, but it was mad of hollow oak, instead of solid. My body, instead of shaking uncontrollably was very calm, though my heart would have won the Kentucky Derby.

Austin and I were trained to be prepared for something like this to happen. We had to be able to keep a level head or we wouldn't survive. Of course, it helped that I had been taken hostage a few times prior, so I knew what to do in these situations. In fact it seemed like I was always the target.

A few minutes passed before the man so much as moved, "I'm sorry to have to do this," I felt a sharp pain in my neck. Not that of a knife, but that of fingers pinching my flesh. Could the famous Vulcan pinch not be a myth? Immediately, I was rendered unconscious.

The sound of something crackling filled my ears. Did I die and go to hell, doomed to eat a never ending bowl of Rice Crispies? What was my sin? That wasn't very fair; I couldn't help who I was born to. What happened to the whole being 'judged' thing? We sort of skipped that part.

My leg jolted as something nudged my foot. I opened my eyes to immediately close them due to the bright orange light of a fire. As my senses returned, I could smell wood burning and the faint sweet aroma of pine. I could feel the heat from the fire and hear leaves and twigs crunch under somebody's feet.

"I know you're awake," the smooth deep voice, that haunted me earlier, spoke.

It sent sharp waves of pain coursing through my brain, emanating down my spine, and vibrating in my limbs.

"You don't have to yell," I grumbled. My voice was hoarse; it felt like I hadn't spoke in days, "What did you do to me?"

"I pinched a nerve in your neck. It immediately knocks you out," he answered, sending another wave a pain throughout my body.

"Why didn't you kill me?" I asked slowly. I hoped this guy didn't plan on doing anything, uh, unspeakable to me, because he was just better off killing me now, I didn't take well to people trying to take advantage of me.

"Do you wish to die?"

With a groan I slowly sat up. My strength was beginning to return. I felt like I had a hangover. My whole body felt like I had weights attached to my limbs. My head felt like somebody was typing on a typewriter inside my skull.

"No," I answered, "but you killed my family, why not me?"

"I require a bride, but mostly, you interest me."

I gaped at him, "If you want a bride so bad, then go to a bar and meet some bimbo. Not kidnap someone you were obviously hired to kill."

"You see, it's not that simple," he sighed.

"Care to explain?" I inquired. Why I was giving this psycho the opportunity to rant, I didn't know. I supposed curiosity always won out. It's genetic; humans are naturally curious.

He sighed again, "Have you ever heard of the Apalates?"

I laughed, "The mythological tribe of assassins? What does an Italian legend have to do with anything?"

"It's not a legend," he spoke as if he were revealing to me that he was gay.

One could never be so sure, especially with that accent. Why are all the cute ones gay? Then again, I didn't see his face yet.

"Let me guess, you are one," I mocked.

He looked at me solemnly, not speaking.

I laughed harder, "You need to see a therapist, buddy. Until then: bye."

I stood up and walked away, bare feet and all. I barely got out of the firelight when a body tackled me to the ground. A hand rolled me over onto my back. Sticks and rocks dug into my skin. A cold metal blade was pressed firmly against my throat. The man, his face hidden in the shadows, was straddling my waist.

"Listen to me closely; now that you know my secret, you can come with me, or I can kill you right now. Either way, you are _not_ escaping alive," he growled.

I lifted my legs, wrapping them around his shoulders. I could feel the muscles in his shoulders flex as I pulled him down, so it rolled me on top. The second we landed, he rolled us to the side so he was back on top, positioned between my legs. The weight of his body pressed on mine keeping me in place. I would have been turned on if this was horse play, not fighting for my life.

"I truly hope you decide to stay, I'm beginning to like our tumbles." He purred.

"I'm not seeing much of a choice, 'join me or die,' and well, twenty years is a very short life. What I don't understand, is why you're so desperate to keep me."

"Come back to the fire and I will tell you."

I sighed. My curiosity was too strong, "Fine."

The stranger helped me up and led me to a log to sit on, not letting go of my wrist. I sat while he paced around the fire.

"If you have heard of us, then you know how dire our secret is," he finally spoke, "It is hard to find a bride when everybody is related to you in some way."

"That still doesn't explain anything."

"Normally, when I approach a girl to kill them, they are too scared to even move. Not only did your face show true defiance, but you fought back. It is a trait that is bred into us. It interests me. Besides, I can always kill you later."

"I take it you kill a lot of girls?"

"That's my job," he sighed.

"Can I at least know the name of my assailant?" I changed the subject.

"My name is Valerian. Val for short," he moved to where I could see him, removing his beanie at the same time.

His face paint was gone, revealing smooth olive skin. His amber eyes seemed to glow in the firelight. His silky black hair hung to his collar, some strands hanging in his face. He wasn't wearing the duster that he wore the night he took me, however long ago that was. I could see his well toned body through the tight black sweater he wore. His black cargo pants weren't too tight, but still revealed the shape of his nicely curved rear end. I had noticed this when he was pacing. I know what you're thinking, but hey I'm only female.

Looking at him made me realize that I was wearing nothing but a gray tank top and short, black sweat shorts. I shivered uncomfortably despite the warmth of the fire.

"Why are we in the woods?" I asked.

"One cannot be caught if one is not found," he replied. Okay Socrates.

"What's wrong with a hotel?"

"Paper trail and I knew you would cause a scene once you woke up. Why do you ask so many questions?"

"You killed my family. You expect me to be all sunshine, and rainbows? You're lucky I'm this calm," I snapped.

"At least tell me your name," he countered.

"Sofia," I replied instinctively.

"Are you hungry, Sofia," my name rolled off his tongue like honey off a comb.

"I just saw my family slaughtered," I replied, aghast.

"Oh, right, of course. Well, I hope you don't mind if I eat," he removed a pot from the fire and scooped some of its contents into a metal bowl.

The aroma of beef stew filled my nostrils, causing my stomach to give an involuntary growl. I glared at the small, black iron pot, willing for it to spontaneously combust.

3


	3. Chapter 3 Down the Barrel of a Gun

Sicario

Chapter 3 – Down the Barrel of a Gun

Without a word, Val handed me the bowl and a spoon. He then pulled out a secondary set from a black bag he had next to him and scooped more out of the pot. I watched his every movement, not touching the food. How was I to know if it was poisoned or not. Sure, he was getting ready to eat it himself, but that could all have been a ploy.

"You've been sleeping for quite some time, you should eat," he spoke gently.

My stomach made a noise as if to agree. I glared at the ground, "How long?" How long had this asshole been keeping captive?

"It's eleven at night, Wednesday."

My family was killed Monday night. I ate my stew in silence, contemplating my escape. The food actually tasted good. The meat was tender, melting on my tongue as I chewed. The carrots and potatoes weren't mushy, but just soft enough. Before I knew it, I had eaten the whole bowl. I looked down into it, in hopes to find more.

"Sorry, there isn't any left," Val spoke taking the bowl, "Get some rest, you look like you were ran over by a freight train."

I felt like I was run over by a freight train.

"Where do I sleep?" I asked only seeing one pile of blankets.

"Over there," he pointed to the makeshift bed.

"Then where are you sleeping?"

He smiled at me smugly. There was no way in hell I was sleeping next to him. Who knew what he would do to me at such close quarters. I shuddered at the thought. No thank you.

"How do you know I won't kill you while you sleep?" I asked defiantly.

"You don't look the type that would attempt to kill anybody," he retorted.

"Looks can be deceiving," I spoke darkly.

The guy who had tried to rape me, I put into a coma. It was a night I snuck out. Devlyn somehow found out and followed me. He probably looked at my planner. I always wrote down when parties were, that way I could plan ahead. Anyway, I was on my way home when a guy cornered me near a construction site. The only reason I didn't kill him was because Devlyn pulled the two-by-four out of my hands. I actually ended up hitting him with it a few times before I realized who it was. It nearly broke his shoulder. My dad gave him a few paid weeks off to recuperate. He took his medical bills out of my allowance and I was confined to the house with twenty-four hour security guards until Devlyn returned to work.

"You're right; I can't afford to take any chances," Val distracted me from my flashback.

I dodged away as he came at me with handcuffs. Who knew what sort of sadistic things he could do to me being tied up.

I didn't get very far before he tackled me to the ground for the third time since we met. We tussled for a few minuets until he somehow managed to bind my ankles. I punched him in the face and hopped away as fast as I could while he was disoriented.

"You're not going to get very far," Val called.

I wanted to yell out, 'We'll just see about that,' but that would have given away my position.

Just as the words left my thoughts, I tripped over a big tree branch that was hidden among the leaves. Why did nature have to hate me so? Landing on my face with a loud grunt, I could hear Val chuckling as he casually approached, muffled by the leaves surrounding my ears.

"Are you done being a pain in the ass yet?" he asked.

"No, and I never will be," I retorted, glaring up at him.

He sighed, pulling me to my feet. Before I could move, he cuffed my wrists in front of me.

"Hey, what the- oomph," he cut me off by throwing me over his shoulder roughly.

I could have fought back. I could have kneed him in the stomach, causing him to drop me. But where would I have gone? How could I have gotten away? My hands and feet were bound by metal hand cuffs.

He carried me back and set me on the pile of blankets. I glared at him while he added another log on the fire. After he finished, he sat next to me and removed his boots. He then maneuvered behind me so that I was between the fire and him. I contemplated hitting him with a log, but again, I was tied up. He pulled me to lie down next to him, tucking the blankets around us. I could feel his body heat emanating on my back.

"Comfortable?" he asked.

"No," I shivered.

I supposed he took it as a cold shiver, because he pulled me closer to him so we were spooning, "Comfortable now?"

"No," I tried to wiggle out of his grasp. I could feel his bicep tensing around my body as he held me in place. It would have been kind of sexy if I wasn't fighting for my freedom.

"You keep wiggling like that, you're going to start something, I'm sure, you don't want to finish," he cooed pressing harder against me.

I shuddered again, "You're improbable."

"Improbable?" he questioned with a laugh.

"Yes, nothing is impossible, just highly improbable," I answered.

Val chuckled making his chest vibrate against my back, "You are a definite keeper."

I growled in response, which only made him laugh more. This man was going to die by the end of the night, and I was going to be the one who killed him. The only problem I had was being tied up, and pressed backward against his body?

I lay in that spot for who knows how long and I couldn't sleep. The handcuffs were cutting off the circulation to my hands and feet. A well muscled arm was still draped over my waist. I could feel the easy breaths of Val's chest as it rose and fell against my back.

Hours had passed and I still couldn't sleep. I wiggled around to face my assailant, the man who killed my family. The man who almost killed me, instead, he kidnapped me to be his supposed bride. What a creep.

This 'man' could be no older than twenty-five. His olive skin was barely visible in the dying fire light. His black hair was flipped into his eyes as he slept. He looked content in his slumber, like nothing happened, like he didn't take my life away with a gun. This man wasn't supposed to exist and I wanted to end his existence with every thread of my being.

Yet here I was, wrapped in his embrace, though unwilling. But my body felt content as if it was made to match his. I was actually quite comfortable whether I wanted to admit it or not. Without realizing it, I fell into an uneasy sleep with my head lying against his chest.

"Sofia," a smooth deep voice spoke softly. It sounded like a melody in a song.

"Hmm?" I answered dreamily.

"It's time to go," the voice answered.

"But Austie, it's early," I whined, not opening my eyes.

"Who's Austie?"

My world stopped with the scratch of a record as I sat up quickly, finally realizing where I was, and who the sensual voice belonged to.

"Who's Austie?" Val repeated.

"You don't even know the names of the people you killed?"

"No, we use code names, it's more discreet. Am I to understand that 'Austie' is your brother?"

"_Was_ my brother, you killed him, remember?" I snapped.

Val sighed, "Get up; we have a long drive ahead of us."

"Where are we?"

"Outside of Paris," he answered casually.

"What!" I yelled, "How did you get me here?" If you consider the time zone difference, Val only had me captive roughly forty hours, then again, I was never one for math.

"A private jet, my village has many connections."

"For such a secret society, you're not very secret," I commented.

"Come, it's time we go."

"Go where?"

"Home," Val answered longingly.

"I would love to go home, if it wasn't a murder scene."

"Are you normally this spiteful?"

"No, I added extra just for you?"

"Are you normally this sarcastic?"

"Just be glad you survived the night," I cooed in a falsely sweet tone.

Val picked up camp while I sat on a log and watched. It wasn't like I could help, I was still cuffed. Even if I wasn't I would have just sat there. I was going to make his life a living hell or as long as I could.

When he was finished, the area looked like nobody ever set foot in the vicinity. Even the scorched earth from the fire was hidden. The morning air was still warm, but had a slight chill. The dim light just barely penetrated through the trees.

"Alright, let's go," Val spoke picking up a pack that held gear in it.

"Unless you're going to carry me," I gestured to my cuffed feet.

"Can I trust you?"

I raised an eyebrow, "What would you do in my shoes?"

Val sighed, un-cuffing my legs. He dug through his pack, pulling out a string of rope. He tied one end to my handcuffs, the other around his wrist. The rope was only a few feet long, made of black silky fibers that were braided together.

I glared at the back of Val's head as we began to walk east toward…wherever. The sharp stones and twigs cut into the bottoms of my feet while the tree branches cut into the revealed skin on my arms and legs. The woods were dense, but I didn't know what type of trees there were. The leaves were already changing color from green to yellow.

After an hour of me stumbling and tripping over every wonder the forest possessed, we came upon a deserted parking lot. By then my feet were cut up and bleeding. I left slight red foot prints on the blacktop as we crossed the lot to one of three cars. It was a silver Mercedes with a black leather interior. Whoever this guy was, he was rich.

I glanced at the sign that stood near the entrance of the parking lot. It was old, the white paint and red lettering was chipped. It was also written in French so I had no idea what it said. The street was deserted, potholes and cracks in the pavement showed it wasn't very well taken care of. An old abandoned where house stood across the street. At the end of the parking lot, opposite the woods stood another abandoned building. I assumed the parking lot once belonged to that, but was now used as a park-and-ride.

"Don't you think it's a bit obvious that you kidnapped me?" I asked.

Val made a point to look at our surroundings, "Who's here to see?"

The car alarm chirped as Val pressed a button on a key chain. He opened the driver's side door, and pushed me inside. My hands gripped the steering wheel, the leather cool against my skin. The seat too was made of white leather. It felt cool, but stuck to my body where my shorts and tank top didn't cover.

"Get into the passenger seat," he ordered.

"Why, I want to drive," I retorted.

On occasion, Devlyn would get the limo driver to let me drive. We would chauffer him around while Devlyn taught me the basics. He was a good instructor; I could probably back up a semi perfectly.

Val glared at me, "Get over there!"

I climbed into the passenger's seat, watching as he untied the rope from his wrist. He threw it at me and entered the car. Quickly gathering the rope, I threw open the door and ran for my life.

The whizzing sound of a silenced gunshot filled my ears as a sharp pain punctured my right shoulder. The force knocked me to the ground with a shout of pain.

"I'm done playing around. Now get into the fucking car!" Val said roughly. He then lifted me up by the arm the bullet still resided in.

"Ow, you fuck head!" I shrieked, ripping my arm out of his grasp, which only caused more pain. I should have killed him when I had the chance. But then again, I never even got the chance.

Val cocked the gun again and pressed it firmly to the side of my head. The metal dug into my scalp causing discomfort, but didn't entirely hurt. "I said get in the car."

Warm liquid trickled down my arm as I slowly walked to the car. Val stopped me after I clumsily opened the door due to my bound hands and hurt arm. He pulled a piece of cloth out of his pocked and wrapped it around my wound. I yelped from pain as he tightened the hanky roughly.

"You try that again and I will aim for your head," he snarled, pushing me into the car. He pushed down the lock and closed the door.

Like that would have stopped me.

He stomped to the other side of the car, slamming the door after getting in, and took off speeding, still heading southeast.

"May I have a seat belt?" I asked unsuccessfully suppressing the pain in my voice. My eyes were beginning to water and this guy was driving like a NASCAR driver. If I didn't die from my wounds, his driving would have definitely killed me.

"Sure, put it on," he snapped sarcastically.

"It's a little hard when my hands are cuffed and YOU FUCKING SHOT ME!"

Val slammed on the breaks causing me to lunge forward. I braced my hands on the dashboard to save my face from smashing on the hard material. My body then slammed back into the seat sending fresh waves of pain through my limbs. I cried in pain as my vision wavered.

Val reached over me, his face dangerously close to mine as he grabbed the seatbelt. I could smell the faint scent of his cologne. More pungent, was the stench of body odor.

"Phew, when was the last time you showered?" I wrinkled my nose in disgust.

"Oh and you smell any better," he retorted.

We drove on until it began to get dark. I took no notice of the scenery, nothing but towns and fields floating by. My arm burned. Every bump and jolt sent fresh waves of pain through my body. I was beginning to get week from the loss of blood and lack of food. I supposed Val didn't notice, or care if he had.

We didn't stop until it was very late. It was a small town, nothing worth putting on the map. By now I was nearly in tears. We drove to the other side, only a few more miles away, then pulled into a parking lot. Looking up, I saw a rundown sign that said 'Hostel' in big blue neon letters.

Val pulled into a parking spot in front of the office and shut the car off. He pulled out the other set of cuffs and cuffed my hands to the steering wheel. I cried in pain as my arm was forced to move.

"Stay here," he ordered.

"Like I can go anywhere," I grumbled as he left me alone.

5


	4. Chapter 4 Home Remedies

**This chapter is for Laheba Alam - For being the only one so far to post a review!**

Sicario

Chapter 4 – Home Remedies

Val returned a few minutes later. My arm burned and blood seeped through the make-shift bandage. I sighed in relief as he un-cuffed me from the steering wheel. He pulled out of the parking space and drove to another that was in front of the rooms on the left hand side of the hotel. There was a small porch that wrapped around the front giving the rooms a ground level balcony. A staircase on each end led to the second story.

"Listen," Val started, turning to face me, "We are a young couple touring Europa on our honeymoon. You try anything, and I mean anything, I will kill you," he gently brushed my arm, sending waves of pain through my body, "Understand?" His Italian accent took the menace out of his voice.

I nodded my head, not trusting myself to speak. He removed my cuffs and grabbed the pack out of the back seat and exited. He walked around the car and opened my door, pulling me by my injured arm. If I didn't want him dead before, I definitely did now.

"We're being watched," Val whispered picking me up bridal style and tucking me into his coat the best he could to hide the blood and dirt that covered my body. I doubted it had anything to do with keeping me warm.

He carried me up the three cement steps, somehow managing to unlock the door and walked into the room. He then set me down roughly on my feet and tossed his pack onto the small round table.

I took in the room while he busied himself with rummaging through the bag. The room was small, with one queen sized bed. The comforter was midnight blue with purple zigzag patterns. The old carpet was also blue. The walls were painted a neutral color with a few paintings of landscapes hanging on the walls to make it more "homey."

A tan dresser stood three drawers high and four drawers long, doubling as a television stand. To the left of the door we entered through, the round table that Val was busy at stood. On the opposite side of the room was an alcove that had a plain white counter and a mirror. The bathroom was on the left side of the alcove as I faced it.

"We have to get the bullet out," Val interrupted my inspection.

"No shit," I snapped. My arm hurt terribly. I tend to get cranky when I'm in pain.

Val set a black kit on the table. I assumed it held whatever tools he needed to get the bullet out. Or thought he needed.

"You're out of your damn mind," I yelled, "Take me to a hospital!"

He once again pointed a pistol at my head, "Shut up. You're not going to the hospital. I'm perfectly capable of doing this myself."

"So was Charles Darwin, and I didn't ever see him trying to operate on people," I snapped, "What about anesthesia, antiseptics, antibiotics? You're unhinged."

He pulled a flask from the bag and handed it to me. It was made of plain metal, the contents sloshing the sides as it moved, "Drink this."

I sniffed the strange liquid. It smelled of apples and honey with some sort of spice. I sipped it. The liquid tasted sweet, but burned as it slid down my throat.

"What is it?" I asked gulping more.

"Home recipe, gets you drunk quick," Val answered.

"Drunk?" I yelled. This guy was getting me drunk just to take advantage of me!

"Yes, anesthesia, you won't feel a thing. You won't remember it at least."

I rolled my eyes at him and sipped more. He cut me off when I had the flask half empty. It only took me a few minutes, but it would take a bit to get into my system.

Twenty minutes passed and I didn't feel anything. Val looked at me quizzically.

"I got nothing," I answered his unvoiced question, standing up to pace. Maybe the movement would help my blood flow and move the alcohol around faster.

When I rose, the room spun. I lost my balance and toppled forward. Before my body could hit the floor two strong arms wrapped around my waist, holding me up. I looked up to find the culprit. Two Vals were holding me in a firm but gentle embrace. Great, now I had to deal with two of him.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"No," I giggled.

"Are you ready?"

"For what," I asked alarmed.

"Calm down, we need to get that bullet out."

"What bullet?" I began, "Oh, right, you fucking shot me."

Val took my good arm and led me into the bathroom. It was a tiny white room with no décor. It had just enough room to maneuver for taking off clothes.

"Take off your shirt."

"I'm not showing you my boobs," I protested. He was trying to take advantage of me already and I wasn't even properly drunk. This guy was hopeless.

With one hand, he ripped off my tank top, letting its remains fall to the floor. I really needed to invest in tougher materials.

"You ass," I attempted to cover myself.

"Just hold still," he sat me on the edge of the tub, letting any drips from my arm run down the drain.

I hissed in pain as Val poured rubbing alcohol over my wound. I rested my head on his shoulder while he worked, the alcohol working it's magic to make my limbs feel heavy. The sharp instruments dug into my flesh as I squeezed his muscled thigh to keep from screaming.

"You're lucky it wasn't any deeper, it would have broken the bone," Val spoke, showing me the tiny bullet.

"Can I keep it?" I asked, my speech was slurred.

"Huh?"

"This is my fourth gunshot wound. The doctors let me keep the bullets," I explained.

"You've been shot three other times?" Val asked astonished.

"Stabbed twice, A few months ago I was almost raped."

"What happened?"

"I put the guy into a coma. My body guard had to stop me from killing him. He supposedly had a feeling I was going to sneak out that night. Being loyal to his job, he decided to follow me.

"A few weeks ago, a guy tried taking me hostage, almost shot me in the head. Devlyn shot him before he could pull the trigger," My voice was continuing to slur, my eyelids were heavy. I think I was talking with my eyes closed like the way some of the elderly do an hour after they take their pain killers.

"It must be hard to be a mob boss's daughter," he commended.

"_Was_," I corrected.

"Huh?"

"It _was_ hard. You killed my father, remember," I snapped.

"How could I forget with you reminding me every five seconds," he snapped back.

I glared at him.

"Let's get you cleaned up," he helped me stand and turned on the shower.

"I can do it myself," I protested.

He let go of me. I swayed, almost falling backward into the tub, "No, I don't want you to hurt yourself," He grabbed me to hold me up.

"You're right, you've hurt me enough," I snapped.

He sat me on the toilet lid and removed his shirt.

"What are you doing?" I asked, my cheeks slightly pink and not from the alcohol.

"If you think I'm getting my clothes wet, you're out of your mind," he said unbuckling his belt.

"I _am_ out of my mind, but I'm not the one taking off my clothes," I folded my arms across my chest to hide my breasts.

I tried not to stare at his chiseled torso, his muscled arms, his…. I quickly looked away before my thoughts turned rated X.

I felt hands gently pull me into a standing position. I swayed slightly as Val leaned my body into his. I could feel the heat radiate off his body. I snuggled my face into his chest and closed my eyes.

"Wake up," Val said, smacking my rear, "Take your shorts off."

"But then I'll be naked," I said in a child like tone.

"That's the point."

"Why?"

"Shower," he reminded.

"Oh."

I opened my eyes and saw a dark patch of curly hair that surrounded his groin below his waist, "Why are you naked?"

"Because I'm going to help you," he talked as if to a child.

Val helped me remove the rest of my clothing and lifted me into the shower because I was incapable of lifting my leg high enough to clear the tub.

I sleepily washed my hair with one hand, while leaning against Val. Finally, he got impatient and took over. I continued to lean against him while he washed his hair. I cried in pain while he washed my wound as gently as possible. He washed the rest of my body, under my great protest, but gave in and let me do it when it came to my genitals. He held me with one arm while washing himself with the other.

I was relieved to be rid of all the dirt and blood. As we rinsed off, it felt like my old life was being washed down the drain with the soap. I would never see my parents, or Austin, or even Devlyn again. I wondered how he was doing.

Val turned off the water and wrapped me in a starchy, white hotel towel, using another on my hair. He sat me on the toilet while he dried off, wrapping a towel around his waist. He then tended to my wound.

"Where are your scars?" Val asked wrapping gauze around my arm.

I showed him my chest, where between my breasts was a stab wound. My sternum just barely stopped it from hitting my heart. Lower and to my right was where a bullet penetrated, but only broke a rib. I stood up, swaying as he studied me. In the center of my stomach, was another knife wound that only penetrated enough to scar. My left shoulder was another gunshot where the bullet grazed my trapezius muscle. Last, but not least, my third gunshot on my left thigh.

"The doctors said that if it was anymore to the right, it would have hit my artery and I most likely would have bled to death before the EMTs arrived," I explained.

Val ran his warm fingers over the scar on my chest, sending waves of hot sensation through my skin. My heart pumped, racing to keep up with my anxiety. His touch was soft but firm. It would have been sensual if the circumstances were different.

"Any deeper, it would have hit my heart," I spoke softly, not trusting myself.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, still tracing the scar.

"You didn't do it, you did this," I motioned to my right arm. I didn't need his pity.

"Let's get some sleep," Val spoke, unsuccessfully hiding the irritation in his voice.

The clock only said ten pm, but I yawned and welcomed the suggestion. He helped me into the bedroom, where he dressed me in one of his t-shirts that barely covered my rear and tucked me into the bed like one would do with their lover that they cared about, not a man with his hostage.

I opened my eyes to see it was still dark out. The clock read one-twenty six a.m. in glowing red numbers. I crawled out of bed but was stopped when my right arm wouldn't move. Squinting in the darkness, I found the culprit: My wrist was handcuffed to Val's.

"Where are you going?" he asked groggily.

"I have to urinate," I slurred, still tipsy.

I could feel him studying me in the darkness as he separated our hands.

When I crawled back into bed, Val grabbed my wrist to put the cuff back on.

"You don't have to worry, I'm too sleepy to even make it to the door," I yawned, pulling my arm out of his grasp.

"Fine, but I still don't trust you," he pulled my body close to his. I heard him inhale deeply. Did he just smell me?

As I started to drift, I thought I felt Val's soft lips graze the base of my neck where it meets my shoulder. He buried his face in the back of my neck, breathing softly on my skin.

"Sofia?" Val's sexy deep voice with his beautiful Italian accent sounded like nails on a chalkboard.

My head felt like a jackhammer was drilling my brain. My eyes felt like they were going to pop out of their sockets. Why did I let this fiend get me drunk?

I groaned in response.

"Sofia, get up."

"What time is it?" I croaked.

"Seven-thirty," he responded.

"Can't you give me a few more years?" I pouted.

"I'll make you a deal. Promise to be good and I'll go buy you some clothes. Sound good?"

I grunted again in response, already asleep.

I felt metal being wrapped around my wrist and swatted it away. There was no need to bind me; I wasn't planning on moving from this spot.

"I'm warning you, Sofia, you escape, I'll hunt you down and you won't like it when I find you," he warned. I didn't even like it when he was here.

I waved him away with a few swats of my hand. I was sound asleep before he had closed the door.

5


	5. Chapter 5 Honeymooners

I noticed nobody's leaving reviews, is the story really that bad? Yal make me want to cry.

Sicario

Chapter 5 – The Honeymooners

The sound of a door opening pulled me out of my slumber. The blankets were wrapped tightly around me as I was curled in a ball. Val's pillow was pressed over my head to muffle any sound or light that was desperately trying to wake me up. I still felt just as bad as I had when Val first woke me up.

"You're still sleeping?" Val's bewildered face infiltrated my cave.

"No, you just woke me up," I snapped, throwing the pillow. The alarm clock read nine in the morning.

"Hurry up and get ready, check out ends at eleven."

"Clothes," I prodded.

He tossed me a white sun dress that had red flowers on it. It was very cute, for a Barbie.

"You can wear this, I'll wear what you're wearing," I said trying not to laugh at the thought of him wearing a dress. I would actually have paid money to see it.

"Just wear that for now, I'll take you shopping later."

I huffed and took off the shirt I was wearing not quite realizing I was completely naked underneath. I let out a squeak of shock, holding the shirt in front of me. I knew it! I knew he was going to get me drunk and take advantage of me!

"You sick fuck!" I yelled.

"Hey, you saw me too," Val defended.

"Yeah, like I remember it."

"You didn't have to drink so much."

"It's your fault for shooting me."

"You shouldn't have run away."

"You killed my family!" I screamed.

"They deserved to die!" he hollered back.

That did it. The straw that broke the camel's back, the penny that made the dollar, the fish that snapped the line. Shall I go on?

I lunged at him, not caring that he was twice my size. I managed to punch him twice in the side of his head before he pushed me away. I lunged at him again, this time he caught me and slammed me onto the bed. As he crawled on top of me, I struggled to get out of his grasp.

We tussled for a few minutes, me futilely trying to overpower him. He was trying to keep the upper hand. The muscles in his arms tensed and relaxed as he struggled to keep control. We were both suddenly very aware of each other, not as a victim and foe, but as a male and a female. He brought his lips dangerously close to mine. They were centimeters from touching my pink skin. I could almost taste his flesh. His breath touched my face in a minty caress. His masculine scent wafted through my nose. We both suddenly realized that I was naked lying underneath him.

He jumped off of me quickly, his face red under his olive skin. He bent over picking up the discarded dress and handed it to me, along with a silky pair of red panties but no bra.

"I was unsure of your size, so I hope these fit. As for the bra, as I said, so I decided to skip it," Val spoke. He avoided eye contact by rummaging through his rucksack.

"We need to re-bandage your arm, it's bleeding again," he spoke, still avoiding eye contact.

I looked down at my wound. The gauze was seeping with fresh blood, "Shouldn't I get stitches?"

"I figured we would do that tonight," he answered.

"I thought you knew what you were doing? You have twelve hours to get stitches, otherwise it's pointless."

"That is true, but at the rate you keep reopening it, we'll be fine."

"More reason to do it now," I protested.

"Fine, but you're not going to like this."

Val led me into the bathroom, gesturing me to sit on the toilet. He pulled a surgical needle out of his medical kit, added black thread, and soaked it in a betadine solution. While the needle and thread were sterilizing, Val unwrapped my wound.

He looked at me meticulously, "Ready?"

I nodded in response.

The pain of the needle spearing through my flesh didn't hurt as bad as I had expected, but it still hurt. The string following through felt veraciously weird. It only took three, very close together stitches to close my wound.

"I'm so sorry, but we can't wrestle until your arm is healed. I know how much you love it," he sighed dramatically while he wrapped fresh gauze around my arm. I rolled my eyes and looked away from him.

After I finished dressing, and put on the sandals Val bought to go with this stupid dress, we headed for his silver Mercedes. The sandals were white with a brown bottom wedge. A strap went over my foot and another around my ankle. Surprisingly, they fit perfectly.

Val grabbed my arm before I entered the car, spinning me to face him. He pulled me to him and kissed me deeply on the lips. Before I could push him away, he grabbed my wrist, digging his fingers into my skin, hinting for me to kiss back.

Which I did.

I returned the kiss forcefully. It caused something to stir inside of me, something predatory, something longing to reach the surface, something I hadn't felt in a long time, something I shouldn't have been feeling at that moment. Not with him.

He slammed my back against the car for effect of the people watching us, causing me to gasp as the air flew out of my lungs. I could picture them in my mind, rolling their eyes at this provocative public display of what they would call affection. When he finally pulled away, I felt my knees buckle under my weight. I was sure my cheeks were red as well. Unfortunately for me, this guy knew how to kiss.

"You're not going to try anything again, are you?" he asked in a warning tone.

I glared at him, "There's nobody watching is there?"

Val smirked, pushing me into the car and closing the door. When he entered on the driver's side, I punched him hard on the side of the face with my left hand, saving my right arm from pain.

He turned his head slowly, to glare at me. His amber eyes were deadly. Not much scared me, I wasn't easily intimidated, but the look in his beautiful eyes almost made my body shake with fear, almost.

"You deserved it," I hissed, barely able to keep the fear out of my voice.

"Perhaps, Sofia, but don't forget: I'm the one with the gun," he spoke deadly.

"I'm the one with the gun," I mimicked, "Prick."

Yes, Immature, but I didn't really have a comeback and I was too tired to rack my brain for one.

We drove for hours heading southeast the whole way. The hilly country side passed the windows as I blankly stared out. We stopped late at night at crappy motels, then leaving early the next morning. Eventually, I lost track of where we were or what country we were in.

It was around nine at night, two days after our spat when we pulled into a large hotel. It had to be a four-star resort. It was covered with tinted glass-pained windows and green neon lights. The surrounding city reminded me of New York, but a lot smaller. The buildings stood stories above our heads, towering the narrow streets. Crowds of people still walked about, flourishing in the night life of whatever city we were in.

"Stay here," Val warned, trusting me enough to not bother with the handcuffs. I sat in the car waiting for only a few minutes. He came back and grabbed his rucksack from the back seat gesturing for me to come.

"I thought you were taking me to get clothes?" I complained, "You promised me two days ago."

"There are stores inside," he replied, "Oh, and the hotel has a pool, so buy something sexy."

"Just for that, I'm going to buy the gaudiest thing I can find," I retorted.

"Then I'll just have to help you pick out your clothing. After all, I'm the one, who's paying," he decided, "Come, the stores are staying open just for us."

He led me into the hotel, making me hold his arm. On the way to the door, he tossed his key to the valet. He was a short younger man, wearing the traditional red jacket and black cap.

"Wow," my jaw dropped as we entered the lobby through shiny brass trimmed doors.

The floor was made of green marble tile. The walls were white and elegantly decorated with green and gold accents. To our left was the long check-in counter. To our right was a huge clothing store. With all of this luxury, one would be led to believe that they were on their honeymoon, not being held hostage by an assassin who wasn't supposed to exist.

"You only need a few outfits, pajamas, and a swimsuit, which I get to pick out. We should be home in another day's drive. There are clothes there that will suit you. We need to travel light. We will be spending a few days here for a little R and R, and then we will head home," Val spoke.

"You do realize that it's a bit hard to believe us being on our honeymoon with only a rucksack?" I asked

"The airport lost our luggage," he answered lazily.

We looked through the huge store. They had everything from evening gowns, to pajamas, to undergarments. We ended up buying a few more outfits than Val deemed necessary, but he liked how they looked so much, he gave in. Just to be nice, I let him pick out a few undergarments to make up for it. When we got to the swimsuits, Val and I argued over what I was going to get.

"Our deal was _I_ got to pick it out," he argued, holding an orange thong bikini.

"Within reason, I'm not looking like a slut," I snapped.

"You won't be slutty, you'll look hot."

"That's what every other guy here will think. Do you really want them ogling your _wife_?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but reconsidered his words. He knew I was right.

I held up a lime green bikini. It was conventional, yet sexy. It would have looked very cute on me, especially with my olive complexion, "Can't we compromise?"

He sighed, "At least it's too bright for you to run away in. Come, I want to see our sweet."

"Sweet? You don't mean-," I cut myself off.

"We _are_ newlyweds," he reminded me, "I also got a great deal, because the airline lost our luggage and all of our paperwork with it."

We purchased the clothes at the checkout counter. It was made of dark wood to match the trim of the store. The floors were green carpet with gold colored designs. Val bought a few outfits for himself to make our story seem real. He grabbed a hold of my hand to make us look like the happy couple. The second the elevator doors closed for our ascent to our suite, I tore my hand out of his, crossing my arms protectively over my chest.

The hallway leading to our room was just as fancy as the lobby. The carpet was beige with red and crème runners with designs that reminded me of flowers, but couldn't quite take the shape. The walls were tan with gold trim. The light fixtures looked like candle holders, shining dim light through frosted glass.

The door to our room opened into a sitting area. The carpet was crème as well as the walls. The trim and wood furniture were a chocolate brown. The sofa and chairs were Victorian style with red silk cushions. On our right was a small kitchenette with a microwave and apartment sized refrigerator. Toward the back of the room, was a small hallway that had a bathroom on the left. The walls were lilac in color. The counter was made of marble that formed into a sink at the center with a brass water spout style faucet. The bathtub was Jacuzzi style and big enough to fit two very large sized people. Who would take a bath with someone else? Disgusting.

I turned to leave the bathroom to find Val standing directly behind me. I nearly screamed in surprise. He stepped dangerously close to me. I wondered if he heard about not invading another's bubble.

"I thought we could see the bedroom together," he said, his accent put seduction in his words.

I scoffed and pushed past him.

The bedroom was a mix between Victorian and cottage style. The floor was made of dark hard wood. A small nightstand sized dresser held a twenty inch television. It was made of cherry stained wood with fancy brass handles on the three drawers. A huge bureau took up one wall of the room. It was made in the same style as the dresser and four drawers high. It also doubled as a vanity. A mirror and a brass bench that had flowered cushions sat at each end so the happy newlyweds could get ready for the day or night at the same time. The bed had a floral comforter and white lace hangings surrounding it.

The room made me jealous of all the happy couples that have, and will share this room. My father would never get to walk me down the aisle at my wedding. My mother will never get to fret over my appearance, shedding tears of happiness that her daughter has grown up. My brother will never meet his niece or nephew. He won't be there to help me bury our parents when they died peacefully of old age. I couldn't even do it by myself. My parents never saw the age of fifty-five. My brother never saw thirty. I couldn't even be there for their funerals. I would have been considered missing, and presumed dead. The authorities will wait a few months before they give up the search and formally pronounce me. What is left of my family would hold a funeral with no body. My grave would be added to the family plaque right next to my brother. The grave will stand empty. No body was found, because there was no body to be had. I was still alive, trapped in a real hell.

It was all because of him, the assassin named Valerian, who came from a society that wasn't supposed to exist. The tears swelled in my eyes, threatening to plunge to the wood floor before I could stop them.

"What's the matter?" Val asked.

I looked up at him. His black hair hung dreamily to the base of his neck, some strands hanging in his eyes. His toned chest and arms were visible through the tight gray sweater. His amber eyes held my own as my look of sorrow turned into a glare full of hatred.

"The first chance I get, Valerian that doesn't exist, I will kill you," I snarled, venom dripping from my voice.

He stepped toward me so quickly, that before I realized it, I was sandwiched against the wall. A blade was pressed against my throat. When he grabbed it and from where, I could not fathom.

"I would like to see you try," he cooed dangerously.

4


	6. Chapter 6 Chained

Again this is for Laheba Alam for being the only person to leave a review.

Sicario

Chapter 6 – Chained

"What are you going to do, kill me?" I hissed, "Do it then and quit yapping."

The knife dug deeper into my flesh, almost breaking the skin. This caused a slight discomfort, but I refused to show it. I could not show any sign of weakness or Val would think he had the advantage.

Val brought his lips close to mine, "I could, you know, but it would look a bit odd being on a honeymoon alone," the flesh of his lips grazed mine as he spoke. His scent engulfed my nostrils.

I glared up at him, unspeaking. My head was tipped back slightly, exposing more of my neck where the blade rested, just daring him to cut me.

"I'm going to have your clothes washed. If you want to go for a swim, I'll be down in a bit," he removed the blade from my neck. I moved to get my bathing suit, but Val caught my arm, preventing me from going any further, "Our last name is Giovanni. You're third generation American, and obviously I'm from Italy, Tuscany to be exact. We met when you came to visit cousins there, just in case."

"Where did you get Giovanni from?" I asked.

"It is my last name," Val replied.

"Oh," I turned to leave, but Val held my arm.

"Don't do anything stupid," he warned.

"I get it," I snapped, just wanting to get away from him.

I grabbed my suit and headed into the bathroom. I hated to wear things before washing them, but I supposed the chlorine would clean anything on the suit. After changing, I grabbed a white fluffy robe off the rack and put it on. When I exited the bathroom, Val was sitting on the sofa, probably awaiting my arrival, typical male.

"Well, let's see," he spoke as I entered the sitting room. Rolling my eyes, I opened the robe to reveal my figure. The lime green suit contrasted my tan skin, making them both stand out, in a good way. It was like adding eye liner to eyes. The suit just barely covered my breasts and rear. It looked sexy but in an almost classy way instead of slutty.

"Nice," he said, "I'll be down in a bit. I'm waiting for the bellhop to come collect our clothes."

I nodded and left the room.

The pool area was a large room with white tiles on the floor, blue concrete in the pool, and crème, yellow, and blue striped walls. There were several white plastic lawn chairs surrounding the outskirts of the room. A large circular Jacuzzi stood to the left corner of the room in its heated glory.

The room was vacant save for a girl a bit younger than I. She was just taking off her robe, revealing a black bikini. It had a gold colored clasp where it met between her breasts. Strings from the ties hung down her legs a little. In my opinion, it was a bit risqué for her young age. I walked over to a lounge chair halfway into the room, a few chairs away from the girl, and carefully removed my robe due to the hole in my arm.

"What did you do to your arm?" she asked with an English accent.

"Someone tried robbing my house and shot me," I answered as if things like this happened normally.

"Then what happened," she asked like a child that was being told a great adventure by their grandfather.

"My husband came to the rescue and shot him in the leg. Once he gets out of the hospital, he'll go to jail," I explained.

Before she could bombard me with more questions, I swan-dived into the pool and swam to the other end. My wound burned as the chlorine ridden water smothered the bandages, but I ignored the pain. I was too angry, to disgusted with myself and my life to let something as little as a bullet wound get to me.

I swam for a while back and forth, ignoring the other girl. Eventually she left. I kept swimming laps around the pool, blocking out the pain in my injured arm.

A loud splash caused me to jump out of my skin. I surfaced to see Val swimming toward me. His muscled arms cut through the water easily as they pulled him quickly over the surface. I could see his black colored swim trunks as he moved closer to me.

"Nothing like the hot springs back home, but it's nice to stretch my muscles. Care to join me in the Jacuzzi?" he spoke paddling up to me. I was at the end of the pool, furthest from the exit of the room.

"No," I spat.

"That wasn't a request," he warned.

"Then you should have been more specific."

He easily lifted me out of the pool and exited himself. Grabbing my hand, he led me over to the Jacuzzi and pressed a button to make the water bubble as if it were boiling. The hot water caressed my body, as the jets massaged my back. It would have felt great if I was in better company and my arm wasn't burning as the hot water splashed my wound.

I glared up at the ceiling until Val finally broke the silence, "How is your arm?"

"Sore," I replied shortly.

More time passed as the silence extended. The only sound was the bubbling of the water. I was lost in thought on how I was going to make my escape. No good plan could be formulated, most of them that I created, I would get caught, others he would find me before I got out of Europe.

"Are you hungry?" Val asked finally.

"I could eat," I replied simply.

"There's a café in the other room that is still open, we could eat there."

"In our robes," I asked, shocked.

"Why not, after all, it is a hotel."

Val grabbed my hand, helping me out of the hot tub. How could a cold blooded killer be such the gentleman? I might have been impressed if I didn't know any better.

"Where are we anyway?" I asked.

"Austria, from here we head south into Northern Italy," he answered.

A waiter approached our table. He was younger and sort of pudgy with short blond hair and dark blue eyes. He spoke words in what I assumed was Austrian. His voice was kind of scratchy, as if he had just entered puberty. He was very short as well. I wondered what the age limit was of getting a job in this country. I remember back home it was sixteen. Well, that was my dad's rule.

"What would you like, amore mio," Val asked me.

I glared at him and ordered the most expensive steak I could find. I was most definitely _not_ his love. I also ordered soup and salad to put icing on the cake. I should have ordered cake too, but I wasn't even going to be able to eat what I had ordered.

Val smirked. I could tell he was holding in a chuckle, "I'll have the same."

Oh how cunning, bastard.

We were silent while we waited for our food. Val was lost deep in thought, while I observed our surroundings. The restaurant was quiet at this time of night. The carpet was plain red with matching tablecloths and chair cushions. The walls were made of dark wood that were lit by genuine candles and decorated with pictures of the surrounding landscape. It must have been a pain in the ass going around lighting all those. Luckily there were regular lights on the ceiling.

I couldn't help but let my mind wander; I knew the way my family lived was bad, and I wasn't entirely innocent for going along, but I was going to get out soon. I was going to make money legally as a nurse. I couldn't help who I was born to. Did I really deserve this? Would it have been better if he had killed me? I usually believe things happen for a reason, what was the reason behind this?

The waiter interrupted my thoughts by placing a soup in front of me. It was French onion. The cheese was exquisitely melted, only a little dripped over the sides. The broth was perfectly salted and the onions were perfectly caramelized. Eventually a salad was brought. It was brightly green with carrots and croutons, covered with creamy Italian dressing that wasn't too sweet. It was so big, I couldn't eat it all. Val had his demolished before I was half way through. Finally, the steak arrived. It was large, and well cooked, topped with caramelized onions and peppers with a side of garlic mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. I was so full from the soup and salad, that I could barely eat any of it.

"Tell me about yourself," Val spoke between bites and courses. I glared at him. "Come now, Sofia, you're stuck with me, we might as well get to know each other."

"I don't want to get to know you," I hissed so nobody could overhear, "As far as I'm concerned, you're already dead, I'm just bidding my time."

Val's amber eyes glazed over in anger as he glared at me. Could he really have blamed me? What would he have done if I had killed his family and took him hostage? I bet I would have been dead on the first night.

By the time we got back to our suite, our new clothes were hanging on a bellhop rack inside the room. After I put my clothes away, I glanced at the clock. It read two-thirty-four- in the morning. I yawned and put on my new red, silk pajamas. I would shower in the morning.

"Did you mean it?" Val asked, entering the room and changing into clean boxers. Why he insisted on sleeping in only his underwear, I couldn't fathom.

"Mean what?" I growled.

"What you said earlier."

"I don't think-"

"Did you?" he pressed.

"Every word," I answered darkly.

He nodded solemnly and sighed, "I hate to have to do this."

He moved swiftly to where I sat on the bed. Before he could reach me, I managed to flip him to the floor on the other side and took off for the door. I had only reached the doorway when Val grabbed me and tossed me back on the bed. He quickly pounced on me as a cat would a mouse. Instead of tearing my head off and eating my brains, he cuffed my hands and feet as he did on the first night. I struggled and writhed trying to slip out of them. Hey, I've seen people do it on television.

"You are a fucking cock!" I screamed, unable to get my tiny wrists free.

"I am not a rooster," he shot back. I wasn't referring to poultry, dumbass.

"Un-cuff me," I demanded.

"I would, but I'm not going to take any chances of you killing me while I sleep."

I screamed in frustration and hopped toward the sitting room.

"Where are you going?" Val chuckled.

"To sleep on the couch," I snapped.

He walked up to me casually, lifted me up like I was a statue, and sat me back on the bed, "Stay here, or I'll chain you to the post," he warned.

"Prick," I spat.

3


	7. Chapter 7 Revenge

Sicario

Chapter 7 – Revenge

When I awoke, my legs were tangled with Val's. My head rested on his shoulder as his arms wrapped around me in a lover's embrace. How I ended up in this position, I didn't know.

"Morning," Val pulled me into him and kissed my forehead.

Before I could clumsily swat him away, he untangled our limbs and unlocked the cuffs. I jumped out of bed and raced into the bathroom before Val could move. I rid myself of my pajamas and hopped in the shower. The bathroom door opened just as I was rinsing the shampoo out of my hair.

"Hey! I'm naked," I yelled, trying to cover myself as Val pulled back the curtain.

"So, I've seen you before," he stood before me in all his naked glory. Clothes did him an injustice. His body looked ever more muscular under his olive skin. His torso was almost void of hair save for the dark happy trail that led to the fur surrounding his organ.

"Can't you wait your turn?" I tore my eyes away from his body with great difficulty. Why was it the psychotic ones that were cute?

"It takes less time if we shower together." What was the hurry?

"You're insufferable."

I showered as quickly as I could, which would have been faster if Val's cute, I mean fat, ass didn't keep getting in the way. When we got out, Val helped me re-bandage my arm.

"What are we supposed to be doing today?" I asked as I pulled a shirt over my head. It was a black fitted tee that had '**If I want your opinion, I'll beat it out of you**' written in bold white letters across my chest.

"I have a few things to attend to, but we will be leaving tomorrow morning."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"I suppose you will have to come with me."

"Why, don't you trust me?" I taunted.

"I trust you as far as I can throw you," Val growled.

"You can throw me pretty far," I shot.

"Good point, but the fact of the matter is that I don't trust you at all, so you have to come."

"Lucky me," I shot sarcastically. Where were we supposed to be going anyway?

"Come, I'm running late," Val grabbed my hand and led me to the elevator. What was it with the hand holding? It wasn't like we were together. Oh wait, we were posing as newlyweds.

"Where are we going?" I asked as we drove off.

"To meet somebody," he replied uncomfortably.

We drove north in complete silence. The scenery passed by the window. It was all the same, towns and landscape of green fields. Why we were driving so far, I hadn't a clue. An hour passed before he pulled into a rundown hostel. Then it hit me. Val was an assassin, he had to get paid.

"Were here to pick up the money from my family, aren't we?" I accused. I was beginning to shake with rage. The audacity of this creep!

"I'm sorry you have to be here, but I have to earn a living, and I can't trust you alone," he spoke so sincerely, I almost believed him.

Almost, "You're not sorry," I spat. I was so angry I was beginning to see red. Normally that was a sign of a popped blood vessel.

"Just be quiet and stay put."

Val exited the car and walked to a room. I followed. I had the right to face the person who had my family murdered. The hotel wasn't very clean. Even the sidewalks were starting to disintegrate.

"I thought I told you to stay put?"

"I'm not a fucking dog," I snapped.

When we entered the room, a man was sitting in a chair on the opposite side of the room. His eyes were chocolate brown and held the soul of a cold blooded killer. His dark hair was cut short and had streaks of gray around his temples. His round belly protruded over his dark dress pants. The buttons on his maroon shirt looked as if they were about to burst. His jacket was thrown onto the bed.

This was Sean Bryant, the leader of my father's biggest rival gang. Not a surprise he had my family killed, from what I overheard at home, my father's crew were taking a lot of their business.

"I told you to kill them all, not take one for your slave," Bryant spoke, his voice was husky like he just downed a shot of whiskey, "Although I wouldn't mind having her myself."

That sadistic bastard!

"I should have figured it was you," I cut in. I wanted his head on a platter. It made me just as bad as him, but at least I felt better, "I don't know what business you had with my father, he probably got what he deserved. Buy my mother, my brother, me? What did I do?"

"It doesn't matter, you should be dead," he glared at Val, "You have dishonored our agreement the deal is off."

"You son of a bitch," I screamed, I was completely out of control of my temper.

Before Val could react, I grabbed the gun from under his duster and shot Bryant three times, twice in the chest and one in the head. The bullets went through him and embedded into the plaster behind him in a spray of blood, and cushion from the chair. His brains painted the yellow wall and old brown, shag carpet. This hotel was definitely stuck in the sixties.

Val looked at me stunned, taking the gun from my hand. After a few seconds he slapped me across the face, "You idiot, now how am I supposed to get paid?"

"Oh, stop acting like such a pansy, he had no intention of paying you," I snapped, holding my sore cheek.

"Where do you get that?" he growled.

"No briefcase, he was going to kill you," I spoke calmly picking Bryant's wallet out of his jacket pocket.

"What are you doing?" Val asked, pulling out a cell phone. When the hell did he get that?

"You want money don't you?" I asked pulling money and cards out of his wallet.

I had no idea why I was helping this man get the money owed from killing my family, but I guessed emptying Bryant's bank accounts would be kind of fun, and a definite slap in the face for his family.

Val dialed a number, let it ring a few times, and punched in a few more numbers, then hung up, "This is taken care of. What are you going to do with that?" he pointed to the cards in my hand.

"ATM and I figured he could be so kind to pay for our hotel," I said simply, handing him Bryant's Discover card.

Val and I followed the ATM sign to the front office. I inserted the card into the machine.

"Password," Val asked.

"Let me see your phone."

"Why? I don't trust you."

"You can hold it. I just need to see the numbers."

He held up his phone. I studied the numbers and punched five, three, seven, and another seven on the key pad. Val looked astonished as I gained access to Bryant's life savings and checking.

"How did you know?" Val asked after we withdrew as much money as the ATM would allow.

"Simple, Jessica is his daughter's name. She's around my age and the apple of his eye. Jess for short. Since there are only numbers on the ATM, and the phone has numbers _and_ letters, it was very easy to decipher." I was so smart.

He looked at me in shock, "I didn't realize you were so intelligent."

"Shows how stupid you are," I shrugged.

We stopped at a few more ATM machines around town and emptied Bryant's bank accounts. It came out to be a quarter of a million dollars. Payment enough for Val I supposed.

"By the way," I spoke as we headed back to the hotel, "You hit me like that again and I'll gut you."

Val ran a finger seductively down my cheek, "You could try, Sofia, but you won't succeed.

I glared at him and slapped his hand away. I looked out the window at the passing scenery, ignoring him for the rest of the ride.

"I'm going for a swim," I snapped after changing into my bathing suit.

"No you're not," Val replied not averting his eyes from the television. He was sitting in a chair, feet propped on the coffee table.

"Watch me," I walked through the room.

When I grabbed the door handle, Val grabbed my shoulder and spun me so my back was against the wall.

"I said you're not going," he growled.

"Why not, there's nothing to do here," I argued.

Val sighed, "Fine, I'll join you. Stay here."

I stayed where I was against the wall, tapping my slipper covered foot on the carpet while I impatiently waited for captain asshole to change.

When we reached the pool area, I headed for the hot tub to soothe my agitated muscles. There were a few people in the pool, but the Jacuzzi stood empty.

"You know," Val spoke joining me, "I can't believe you shot him."

I looked around to make sure nobody was listening. There were a few people playing Marco Polo on the other side of the pool, "He had my family killed. The person who did the killing made the mistake of leaving me alive to seek revenge."

"Now what," Val moved closer to me, so close I could smell his breath.

"Your next," I whispered deadly.

Val moved back slightly, laughing, "I'm so glad I decided to keep you, you're one of the few that can make me laugh."

"You won't be laughing when your brains are splattered on the floor."

I stood up and turned to leave, but Val grabbed my arm and pulled me toward him, causing me to stumble into his lap. My knees rested on the seat on either side of him. He pulled me by the back of my head into a kiss, his fingers tangling in my hair. I struggled to get out of his grasp.

"Just pretend like you like it," he whispered.

"Why?" I asked. I really didn't have to pretend, but I wasn't going to share that bit of information.

"So I can see what it feels like, and we're being watched."

"What what feels like?"

"Love," he answered

"Love is pain," I growled.

Val kissed me again, holding my body tight but tenderly. The kiss was just as passionate as the last, when he kissed me in the parking lot. After a few minutes, he let go.

"I think what you felt was only lust," I whispered, stepping away from him.

"I'm sorry," he spoke quietly.

"No, you're not."

I exited the tub and dove into the pool. All the Marco Polo players had dispersed after observing our public display of affection. I swam laps for a while, taking my anger out on the water and exercising my injured arm. It still burned, but the chlorine was cleaning the wound nicely.

"Sofia," Val's voice called. I surfaced and looked at him, "Are you hungry?"

I wasn't, in fact, the thought of food made me feel sick, but I hadn't eaten since breakfast. I climbed out of the pool, and followed Val to the room.

I showered and returned to the bedroom to find a dress hanging on the vanity. It was plain black with spaghetti-straps that reached my knees. It was tight until it reached my hips then flared like a salsa dress. The sheer fabric was at different lengths at the end, some stopping at my middle thigh, others reaching my knees.

"We are going to a fancy restaurant," Val spoke.

He was wearing a pinstriped suit with a crimson silk dress shirt and a plain black tie. The suit made his beautiful features stand out more. He looked almost gentlemanly. Too bad I knew better.

I slipped on the dress and added makeup. My hair, I pinned up in a French twist with a fancy silver colored comb for decoration. I had no idea where it came from. I found earrings and a necklace inside a box that was laying on the vanity. The Necklace was silver with diamond leaves surrounding my neck in vines. At certain points there were small flowers where another set of vines looped down and attached to another flower. At the bottom was a large teardrop shaped diamond. The earrings were simple diamond studded flowers to match the necklace. This jewelry had to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, if it was real.

Val took the necklace and helped me clasp it behind my neck. He held out a plain silver wedding band. The metal gleamed in the dim light. I looked up at him awkwardly.

"I decided that we can't play the happy newlyweds without wedding bands," he spoke showing me a matching band on his left ring finger.

"You bought these?" I asked.

"No, our friend Sean Bryant bought them. Isn't he just the sweetest? And to think, you killed him," he teased.

"Why would you buy them if we're leaving tomorrow?" I asked.

"I didn't Mr. Bryant did as a wedding gift," he kissed the top of my head and left the room to wait for me.

I glared at him and set the ring on the vanity. Did this ring mean more to him than just a scheme? Why would he waist the time and money to buy them now? Stupid, freaking wedding band; my mother would never get to see me with one, even if it _was_ fake.

"This is _your_ fault," I said to the ring, scooping it up and placing it on my finger. Isn't that bad luck or something; putting on your own wedding ring?

"You look beautiful, Sofia," his accent forced my name to roll sensually off his tongue causing me to blush at his words.

We drove in silence to the restaurant. I glared at the ring on my finger willing it to explode with my mind. The restaurant was a fancy 'you can't get in without a tie' and Italian cuisine. I ordered stuffed shells while Val enjoyed spaghetti with homemade meatballs the size of his fist.

We ate in silence, speaking only to comment on the food. I almost told him how I used to sneak into our kitchen and help the cooks prepare our food. I almost told him how most of our family's meals were made by me while the cooks would take a break or watch. Some of them would help under my great protest. I almost told him, _almost_. He didn't deserve that kind of personal knowledge.

"Why are you keeping me?" I finally asked on the ride home.

Val sighed as if he had to explain the same thing to a child fifty million times, "Because you intrigued me and you could be of some use."

"Is that all?" I asked coldly.

"All I'm willing to share at the moment."

We were silent the rest of the way to the hotel. I wanted to bash my head against the window. Val should have just killed me on day one.

5


	8. Chapter 8 The Journey

Sicario

Chapter 8 – The Journey

"Sofia, it's time to get up," a voice broke my dreams.

My head was laying on something soft but firm at the same time. An arm was wrapped around my body while a hand twirled through my long brown hair.

"Why so early?" I grumbled sleepily.

"I know you would rather cuddle, but we have to go," Val spoke soothingly. His accent rolled the words into a lullaby.

I sat up so fast Val didn't have time to untangle my hair from his fingers. I yelped as my hair caught causing me to fall back onto the pillow. I could feel Val's chest vibrating as he silently laughed. What a prick.

"Are you ready?" Val asked after stuffing everything he could into his rucksack. He had to buy another bag to hold my newly acquired wardrobe.

"I would have been ages ago, but someone had to leave me in handcuffs while they showered," I snapped.

"I wonder who would do such a thing," he retorted sardonically.

We drove southish, only stopping to use the restrooms. Around six-o'clock, we pulled into an outdoor sports store. The name was in Austrian, but it resembled the American Bass Pro. I looked at Val quizzically.

"After tonight, we have to travel by foot. There are no roads to my village."

"So we have to camp?" I asked glumly. I loved camping, but he ruined the fun by just being there.

"Yes, if we move quickly, it will take a week, give or take, to get there."

"Just what I want to do: be alone with you in the wilderness, so you can feed me to Sasquatch."

"I believe Sasquatch is an herbivore, but the wolves would love a feast."

"I glared at him as we walked inside the store. It looked exactly like a Bass Pro, with stuffed bear manikins, hanging plastic geese, and every product one would need for the outdoors.

We bought what little amount of camping and equipment we required, such as a cold weather tent and a few small pots and pan. Val stated that he already had everything he needed, but he wanted to buy new ones. He would only buy one sleeping bag, claiming weight and warmth was a factor. He also made me try on a snow suit and snow shoes, claiming winter comes early in the mountains. It was only August.

We walked out of the store carrying all sorts of gear from a tent and sleeping bag, to an extra flint for me to carry incase the other gets lost. He also bought new fishing equipment and an extra collapsible pole. He said it wasn't necessary, but he needed new gear for the spring and really didn't want to make the journey then. We also stopped at a tack shop and bought all sorts of horse related things. I guess normally he traveled by foot, but there were two of us and he didn't normally make the trip this time of year so we had a lot of gear.

After a few more hours and a lot of money, buying things that weren't 'necessary,' but would be needed in the future, we pulled into a bed and breakfast. It was a large white house with a wraparound porch and black shutters, behind the house stood a huge barn. Across the driveway a white cottage that had a small porch stood in the shadow of the house. Both porches were adorned with homemade rocking chairs and wicker furniture.

"My village has an agreement with the owners," Val explained, "We will trade the car for three horses, I hope you can ride."

"I had lessons when I was younger," I answered, "Why only three horses?"

"They're Clydesdales."

"Oh, that explains it."

Clydesdales are a very tall and strong horse used to haul all sorts of outrageously heavy things. A lot of beer brands use them as their mascots. Their backs would probably stand to my head and that's not including how high they can raise _their_ heads.

Val knocked on the light colored wood door. After a few seconds, an elderly man answered. He was very tall and thin. His olive skin was hard and leathery from years of working in the sun. His head had short white hair, the top was completely bald. His dark eyes were weary with age.

Behind him stood a stout woman with gray hair tied in a tight bun. Her tan skin was slightly softer than the old man's, a perk to being a woman. Her dark eyes held a special sweetness that only a mother and grandmother could accomplish.

"How may we help you, Mr. Giovanni?" the man asked in Italian. His voice was hoarse with age. The jean suspenders he wore were tattered and grimy with wear.

"Good evening Mr. Rossi, we will only be staying one night. In the morning we can bargain for three of your Clydesdales," Val replied in Italian.

"Have you had dinner yet?" the woman cut in.

"No, we haven't," Val answered politely.

"I'll set two more plates. Antonio will help you to the cottage."

We followed the old man off the porch and to the small cottage. He pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the door. Val ushered me inside but was stopped from following when the farmer requested to talk with him. Val closed the door, but I could still hear them.

"Sir, it may be none of my business, but in all my years I have never seen a member of your tribe bring a woman here, especially one who is clearly not from Italy," the man spoke in Italian.

"You are right, Antonio, it is none of your business," Val replied, then in a low voice, "It is best we keep it that way."

"What story are we supposed to tell them?" I asked in English after Val entered the room.

"Nothing, they know not to ask questions."

We sat in silence while we waited, I watched Val build a fire in the grate to chase away a chill that didn't really exist. A knock sounded at the door a while later. Val was changing the bandage on my arm.

"Dinner is ready," the old man called through the door in Italian.

We entered the house through the back door, which led directly into the kitchen. It was a neat, organized, typical Italian country home. The floors were fancy red tile. The walls were yellow. The furniture was made of darkly stained wood, probably homemade. A crème table cloth covered the table. Four place settings took up its entirety. The plates were plain white with little pink flowers painted in the center.

"What is your name, my dear?" the woman asked me in strongly accented English.

"So-" I began but Val interrupted.

"It doesn't matter her name," he spoke in English.

The woman began to argue but her husband shot her a warning look. She glared over at Val and remained silent. In fact, we were all silent for the rest of the meal. It consisted of spaghetti with homemade meat balls. I always love homemade meatballs, especially the way I made them; with a little onion and lots of garlic. Sometimes I would mix is parmesan cheese, but that depended on which cook was supervising me. One of them was so particular, that if I didn't stick exactly to her recopies she would throw away my work and begin anew. Needless to say, she didn't last very long in the kitchen. I had talked my father into promoting her to cleaning. Okay, it was a downgrade, but she was mean.

"We will speak in the morning, Antonio. I thank you for the meal, Francesca." Val spoke.

"Thank you," I mouthed to the lady so Val wouldn't notice.

"You're welcome, dear," she mouthed back.

We went back into the cottage. Inside it had crème walls, light colored hard wood floors, and cherry stained furniture. The bedspread was red and crème. Val pulled back the blankets to reveal white linen sheets.

"Why didn't you want them to know my name?" I asked.

"The less these people know, the better," Val answered.

I glared at him.

"It's for their own safety," he added, "Now let's go to bed, we have to get up early."

"Sofia?" Val poked my good arm, "It's time to get up."

"Why?" I asked groggily.

I was lying on my stomach, sprawled across the bed. He must have been up for a while, at least long enough to shower. His beautiful dark hair was wet and hung in wavy tendrils to the base of his neck. He also smelled better than usual. I gave the credit to the freshly sprayed cologne.

"We need to leave. Go take a shower while I make a deal for the horses."

"Are you trying to say I stink?"

"No, if you stunk I would tell you. It might be a bit before you can wash, so make good use of the shower."

"Oh," I yawned and stretched my stiff muscles.

"You look like a cat when you do that," Val commented.

"Um, sorry," I responded.

"No, it's cute."

"Okay, now you're scaring me."

"Just take a shower and come outside," Val kissed my forehead.

After my long shower I walked to where Val waited with three horses. Two were saddled and the third carried our essentials. All were twice the size of a normal horse. When I stood next to them, it was like putting an eight-year-old next to Andre the Giant.

"How do you expect me to get up there?" I asked, standing on tiptoe to see if I could make myself taller than the massive horse.

Val smiled and patted the horse's left shoulder, clicking at the same time. It shifted its weight and kneeled down on its front legs so I could easily slide onto its back.

"You just think of everything don't you?" I snapped.

"I try," Val's accented voice spoke, "Let's go. I want to make it to Molti Pesci Springs by night fall."

I climbed onto the kneeling horse, tapping its sides with my heels for it to stand up. The old woman smiled at me solemnly. I gave her a half smile as if to say "It sucks, but I'll be alright."

"Take care, child," she called.

We trekked on, following a game trail through the woods. The birds twittered and chirped on the branches high up in the trees. We saw a cute little white rabbit frolicking in the underbrush, nibbling on the lush green clovers. I almost began reciting lines from Alice in Wonderland, but thought better of it. The ground was beginning to slope upward. The forest was beginning to get more clear, the trees bigger and older than the ones below.

The sun was beginning to fall behind the trees when I heard the sound of trickling water. Val urged his horse to a slow jog. We emerged into a clearing next to a brook. The clearing was obviously used before; a circle of rocks surrounded ashes from a long burned out fire. Val began muttering under his breath about people not being able to pick things up properly, and what if an outsider wandered through. I was an outsider, and I thought it was just an old camp the farmers used to use, or a hunting party.

"Do you know how to pitch a tent?" Val asked.

"I'm sure if I read the directions I could manage," I answered sourly.

"Good, you set up camp, and I'll catch the fish," he spoke taking out a small tackle box.

"Set up camp?" I asked bewildered. Why did he get to have fun while I did all the work?

"Yes, pitch the tent, clean out the fire pit. There's a hand shovel in the brown pack. Do you know how to use a flint?"

"I'm sure I'll manage," I growled, tethering all three horses to a tree.

I unloaded the pack horse and unsaddled the other two, letting them graze on the supple green grass that covered most of the clearing.

After pitching the small tent, I unrolled our sleeping bag and stacked the pillows at the top. I set out a pair of my pajamas and a change of clothing next to the toiletry bag in a corner of the tent, that way I didn't have to go digging though my rucksack later. The plain brown canvas shifted in the slow breeze as I exited.

I searched through the other packs and found a small foldable shovel that soldiers would use and emptied the fire pit, spreading the ashes in the forest. As I gathered wood, I found a good sized log for us to sit on and dragged it over to the site.

By the time Val returned holding a few medium sized fish, camp was set up, the fire burning, and I was grooming the huge horses.

The horse I rode was a black stallion with a white blaze and feathers. His mane and tail were thick and black with a few white strands of hair. His tail dragged the ground while his mane hung past his neck.

"What are their names?" I asked, not turning to look at Val.

"I was not told, you may name them if you wish," Val answered handing me a metal comb, "Be sure to comb the feathers well, especially when it snows. The ice and mud will cause them harm." Little did he know I had already known that.

I continued to groom the horses while Val went off to clean the fish he had caught, "What's your name?" I whispered to the stallion.

I ran my hand through his soft fur. He was such a big and powerful horse, he reminded me of Thor, the Pagan god of thunder, "Thor it is then," I spoke. The horse moved its head up and down as if to say he agreed.

The horse Val rode was a reddish tinted chestnut mare. The only white she adorned was her feathers and a spot between her eyes. She reminded me of a giant ginger-bread cookie horse. Her mane and tail were long and a chocolate brown color.

"Ginger is your name," I said to the horse.

The pack horse was a palomino mare with a white blaze and feathers. He body was a golden-yellow color. The mane and tail was platinum blonde, both as long as the others. The name Daisy popped into my head.

4


	9. Chapter 9 Winterwonderland

Sicario

Chapter 9 – Winter Wonderland

"Did you come up with any names yet?" Val's Italian accent approached me.

"Yes," I answered, "The stallion is Thor, your horse is Ginger, and this one," I patted the palomino, "Is Daisy."

Val repeated the names in English. The names were pretty much the same in Italian. The sounds rolled off his tongue as he contemplated, "Not bad I suppose," he shrugged and began cooking the fish while I finished grooming Daisy.

The sun set further beyond the horizon, leaving our clearing shrouded in darkness. I finished grooming the horses, and headed toward the glowing fire. Val was a silhouette in the darkness on the outskirts of the light. His tall muscular frame looked ever more mysterious. He was a shadow in the night, a beautiful malevolent being, a fiend in the darkness. He was an assassin, and he definitely looked the part, clad in black.

"You did well with the camp, Sofia, are you sure this is your first outing?" Val asked, stepping into the light to turn the fish.

"I never said it was," I snapped.

I swear sometimes I was bipolar.

I walked away from the fire and glared up at the stars. I had the right to be miserable. My life was taken from me in one night and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" Val's accent moved next to me. I had heard him coming, but gave no notice.

I didn't answer for a few minutes. I supposed if I was stuck with him, he should know why I was being a bitch. When I finally spoke, it wasn't of the stars.

"My father used to take us on outings. We would take turns choosing where to go. This year was my turn. We were supposed to go hiking in Letchworth this fall. Now that's never going to happen," I walked away from him and sat on one end of the log by the fire. I had loved Letchworth with its beautiful mountains. The forest trees were magnificent in the fall. It was my favorite place to go camping.

Val walked to the opposite end and sat down with a sigh, "Now I understand why we leave no one alive."

"So why did you?" I shot.

"If you knew the girl they want me to marry, you would understand why I took you. What's worse is she's my fourth cousin." I looked at him skeptically, "It's not that she's not pretty, she's beautiful, but her personality is enough to turn a sensible man gay."

I laughed slightly at the comparison. I would find out soon enough seeing as he was dragging me to his village. I, of course, would meet her, unless Val planned on keeping me confined for the rest of my life... how ever long that would be.

We ate our small meal of fish in silence. It wasn't that great, but Val added lemon and pepper spice to help with the taste. I wished we had something to go with it, like a vegetable or fries, or something. While we ate, a pot of water heated in the fire to wash the dishes.

"Come Sofia, let's get some sleep," Val spoke after we finished cleaning up our mess.

I entered the tent and changed into the silk pajamas Val bought me, while he stripped to his underwear. Though we faced away from each other, I couldn't help but notice that they were boxer-briefs; black in color. I came to believe it was the only color he ever wore. I ignored him and crawled to the inside of the sleeping bag, assuming that was where he wanted me.

"Can I trust you?" Val asked lying next to me. The hot skin on his arm brushed mine sending waves of unwelcome sensation through my body.

"Where am I supposed to go?" I growled, "Besides, you have all the weapons. You're lucky I didn't see where you hid them."

I saw a flicker of fear behind Val's beautiful amber eyes, but he quickly masked it. He snuggled against me, holding me tight to his chest. There was no point in fighting him, he wasn't ever going to let me go and I didn't feel like wasting the energy to do so. I just let him embrace me like a lover.

I was beginning to fall asleep when I thought I felt him kiss my forehead. The kiss was soft, barely noticeable, but it left a wave of heat emanating from the spot his lips touched. Would it be like this until he got sick of me? I'm sure he would be trying to do other things. I was surprised he hadn't yet. But how long would it take before he was through? What would he do with me then? Would he just kill me like I was nothing, or would he give me away to one of his buddies? Forever, would I be a slave in a secret world that isn't supposed to exist?

I awoke the next morning to find Val not laying next to me. I cautiously exited the tent to find him gone. I checked the horses to find them still tethered where I left them the night before. I don't know why I bothered; he brought me this far, why would he leave now? Why would he have left me? He was always so afraid I would try and run away.

While I waited for him to return, I decided to bathe in the spring. Grabbing a towel, I walked down the stream to where the water would reach my waist and stripped off my clothes. I waded in the coolness, letting it caress my skin. The weather was a bit cold for this sort of excursion, and the water was too cool, but at least I would be clean for another day.

"Sofia?" I heard Val shout a little while later.

"Over here," I called, dipping my hair under the water to rinse the shampoo.

"What are you doing?" he asked like a father would his children when they wandered off.

"Bathing," I answered simply, "Who knows when I'll get another chance."

"You have a point. It's supposed to get cold tonight. I think I'll join you," He was in the water before I could protest.

"Where did you go?" I asked dressing in a pair of jeans and long sleeved black shirt.

"Caught a rabbit for later, I put it in the cool box," he answered wetting his hair, "Why didn't you leave me a note?"

"Besides the lack of paper and pen, you didn't leave me a note, why should I leave you one?" I responded.

"I'm not the one I have to worry about running away. There's pens and paper in my rucksack."

"How was I supposed to know?" I snapped.

"I know where you keep everything."

"That's because you're the one who packed it."

"Touché," he agreed.

Val chose to exit the stream at that moment. The water glistened on his olive skin, running down the tight muscles of his torso and dripping from – I looked away before my thoughts once again turned over to the dark side. Why did I have to get the assailant that was good looking?

We quickly ate our breakfast that consisted of bland oatmeal. It was gross and tasted like mush in my mouth, but that was all Val would allow me to make. We picked up camp, making it look as it did when we arrived, then headed deeper into the mountains.

The temperature steadily dropped as we trekked to a higher elevation. By midday I was shivering. Val ended up stopping our tiny caravan and handed me the coat he bought for me at the sports store. It was made of black bubble material with down stuffing. Brown and white faux fur lined the hood. Val's coat matched mine but was obviously bigger. We looked like a tiny modern day wagon train, minus the wagons.

No sooner than we took off again did it start snowing. The snow was light and fluffy, falling gently to the ground. The big flakes didn't melt on contact, but covered the earth in a soft blanket of white. The sun was low in the sky when we stopped, but we still had plenty of daylight. When I dismounted, the snow reached my ankles.

"In case you were wondering, we stopped early because we have a lot of work to do," Val spoke reading my mind.

He took off to skin the rabbit while I set up camp. I had only just finished pitching the tent when Val returned, throwing the meat in a pot for later. Without a word, he grabbed a hatchet and left once more. I wondered why he didn't tell me where he was going or what he was up to. He always had to know where I went and what I did. I couldn't even go take a pee without him tying a rope to my hand.

I was tending to the horses when Val came back. He was dragging a few evergreen saplings behind him. The branches were trimmed away, leaving thin trunks exposed.

"It's going to storm tonight, we need to make the horses a shelter," Val explained my unasked question.

I looked at the sky, dark clouds that still spilled snow reached from horizon to horizon, filling the sky above us. The snow still steadily fell, floating down from the heavens in a gentle rush. It didn't really look like it was going to storm, but the mountains were his terrain, he knew the weather up here better than I did.

An hour later, we had a nice lean to built for the three horses. It was made out of tarp that wrapped around the trees on three sides. Val used the saplings for weight on the bottom. The roof, Val used the branches that he cut off the saplings, tied down firmly with rope. The horses, of course, had to duck down to enter, but the shelter was there if they wanted it.

"Val?" I asked.

"Yes," he inquired.

"Do we have any vegetables? It would be nice to have a soup to warm up with," I suggested.

Val closed the space between us, took my face in his gloved hands, and kissed me on the lips. "You are brilliant!" he cheered, "You start cooking and I'll see what I can find for tomorrow."

I didn't understand why he was so excited, it was only soup. Even a monkey could have figured to make that with the cold weather.

"The vegetables," I reminded.

"Oh, right," he all but skipped over to the pile of bags that were protected by another tarp, and grabbed a bag that was full of fresh carrots and celery. He also tossed me a bag of spices.

He took off and left me to make the soup. In a pot, I transferred snow to melt and boil. While the heat from the fire worked its magic, I chopped the carrots and celery using a cutting board made out of a tree stump that I had found while collecting fire wood. Pouring a small amount of oil in a pan, I added the veggies to 'sweat.' It softens them up and brings out their flavor.

Once the water in the pot began to boil, I added the rabbit I had cut into smaller pieces. Eventually, I added the veggies and other spices for flavor. While I waited for the soup to cook, I collected evergreen needles and added them to a pot of snow to boil. It would make a nice hot tea to drink with our soup.

The soup was ready and Val hadn't yet returned. I wasn't going to wait, I was hungry. I dished myself out a bowl and a cup of hot evergreen tea. The soup was good for what I had to work with and the tea needed honey, but they were both warm and almost comforting.

Val finally returned, carrying a bundle of rabbits. I was afraid he got eaten by a rare lynx or a bobcat. Okay, fine, I was hoping.

"You couldn't wait for me?" he pouted.

"I was hungry. I'll tell you what, my uncle taught me how to skin a rabbit, you eat and I'll do that."

"I'm going to start calling you wonder woman," he said.

"Why?"

"Because you always leave me wondering if there's something you can't do."

"I can't fly," I retorted.

"How do you know?" he countered.

"I tried when I was eight, broke my arm."

Val laughed and dished out his soup leaving enough left for one person. I left to clean the rabbits, walking a mile east to avoid the up and down drafts.

"This is a lot of meat for two people," I observed at Val's arrival. I had just finished the last rabbit.

"Yes, but we won't have to hunt again," he put all the meat into plastic containers.

I looked at the bloody mess in the snow. We were a good ways from camp, but it still concerned me, "What about this?" I pointed to the innards and blood.

"Other animals will eat the rest, but they might still smell us. We'll have to be extra careful, though the storm will probably keep them in their dens tonight."

When we returned to camp, the dishes were done, and everything was picked up. I washed my bloody hands in the still warm dish water and made sure to rinse the pot well with the extra water.

Val covered the fire embers with snow. The wind was starting to pick up and the clouds were pouring out more snow. It was definitely turning into a blizzard.

The high winds tore at the tent all through the night. I hugged closer to Val, afraid that if I let go, the wind would carry me away with the tent. I could tell he enjoyed himself, he slept like a baby.

The next morning, I woke from what little sleep I got. The sun was still hidden by the gray clouds. Checking Val's watch, it read four-thirty. I couldn't get back to sleep. So I decided for an early start on the day.

When I exited the tent, I was met by a vast blanket of snow. Though we were protected by the forest, it was still plenty deep. I heated a pot of water to bathe, and another with the soup I made the prior night. Val could eat oatmeal, yuck.

When my bath water was ready, Val was still sleeping. I went into the tent and shook his shoulder. There was no way I was bathing outside.

Val grabbed my wrist, pulled me down, and rolled on top of me. It all happened so fast, it took me a few seconds to realize what had transpired.

"What are you doing?" he growled.

"Waking you up, I want to wash," I replied. A blade pressed into my skin as I spoke, scraping my sensitive flesh.

"Can't you wash outside?"

"Have you been out there lately? It's freezing."

"So you're going to get in here wet?"

"No, that's what towels are for. They can dry while you eat."

"Hmn, you have a point. It's still dark out," he realized.

"It's only five."

"I suppose an early start will help," he left the tent.

I was dressing when Val reentered the tent. I had put on thick cotton sweat pants and a bra. I was about to pull a long sleeved shirt over my head when Val grabbed my injured arm.

"We can remove those," he spoke, examining the stitches. It had been a week already?

"Then do it," I snapped.

Val removed a pair of small scissors from his medical kit. It felt weird when the string pulled through my skin. I examined my arm, the wound was healed on the outside, leaving a pretty scar. Inside it still ached. The wound was not yet fully healed.

4


	10. Chapter 10 End of the Road

Sicario

Chapter 10 – End of the Road

After we packed up camp, we headed deeper into the mountains, changing direction from east to South, then back again, but never followed a set trail. We only switched from game trail to game trail for easier passage.

Forest gave away to rocky snow covered fields, and then turned back into forest. The snow grew ever deeper as we moved on, reaching to the top of the horses feathers. When we finally stopped for the night, I was almost asleep on top of Thor. I skipped dinner and went directly to bed.

"Sofia," Val shook me awake the next morning, "get ready to leave."

Val and I pretty much had our tasks down. When we made camp, Val would set up the tent and fire while I tended the horses. We had enough meat so he didn't have to hunt. I would cook dinner, and Val would make breakfast. The one who didn't cook did the dishes.

When we left, Val would pack while I readied Ginger and Thor. It took both of us to ready Daisy. I would bring him the bags while he secured them to her special saddle.

I was about to mount Thor one morning, when Val stopped me. He was looking at me awkwardly, as if he was going to tell me he was pregnant. At this point it wouldn't have surprised me. I wondered who the father could have been. Could it have been possible that he was a hermaphrodite and did it to himself? Then again, most hermaphrodites were sterile, but there's always the exception. I always had a knack at contradicting myself.

"You can't see where we are going," he spoke uncomfortably.

"What do you mean? I'm not blind," I spoke eyeballing him.

"I have to blindfold you. I can't risk you knowing the way."

I would have taken the pregnancy better.

"You're out of your fucking mind, you know that Valerian?"

"That may be, but you don't have a choice," he moved to tie a folded bandana around my eyes.

I moved away from him, "Can't you wait until I mount?" I snapped. I knew there was no getting out of this. It was best not to fight too much. I didn't have to energy anyway.

I slid onto the still kneeling stallion and tapped him to stand. Val did the same with Ginger and walked up next to me, placing the bandana around my eyes.

"I really hate you, do you know that?" I asked venomously. If he didn't get that impression by now, then he was a complete idiot.

"Yes, Sofia, I fear that every night when I go to sleep, I'll be dead when I wake up," he mocked in his Italian accent.

"You can't wake up dead, you moron," I shot.

"Touché, two points, Sofia," he mocked. That put me four points ahead of him, but who's counting?

"Oh, fuck you, prick," I snapped.

"I would love to, but I don't think now is the appropriate time, we need to leave."

I made a noise of frustration and turned my head in the direction I believed to be away from him. I nearly fell off my horse as he jolted into a fast walk.

We walked for hours in silence. The only scenery I saw was the darkness of the blindfold that covered my eyes. The only noise I heard was the crunching of the horse's massive hooves on the snow. It drowned out most other noises, but I could occasionally hear the birds chirping if they were close enough. I clutched to the saddle for dear life as Thor walked and stumbled on the uneven terrain. The continuous rocking motion and darkness lulled me into a half sleep as I teetered in the saddle.

When we finally stopped for the night, I practically fell off the horse, slamming into Val's guiding arms. We fell to the ground, me landing on top of his body. Instead of getting up, I laid my head on his plush coat covered chest and closed my eyes.

"Sofia, how can you be so tired?" Val asked.

"You would be to if you were stuck in the dark on a rocking horse for twelve hours," I grumbled, finding a better position to rest my head. His coat would have made the perfect pillow if it weren't so cold, or if it weren't attached to him.

Val sighed, "I didn't really want to stop. We could have made it home by midnight. I guess we could sleep for a few hours."

"Hmhmm," I replied dreamily, not really listening.

"Get up, Sofia," Val said in his Italian accent.

"Umt, umt," I protested.

Without effort, Val stood up, bringing me with him. Damn my small frame. He set me back down against what I assumed was a tree while he set up the tent. Good thing I was wearing my snow pants. When he was done, he picked me up and carried me into the tent, stripping off my snow covered outerwear before entering.

He finally let me take off the stupid blindfold, helping me untie the knot. I quickly changed into flannel pajamas Val bought at the sports store, and laid my head on the pillow. Within seconds, I was sound asleep.

I woke with my head on Val's chest. His arms were wrapped protectively around my body. My legs were entwined with his. I was still cold. Even with his added body heat, the cold seemed to seep through the sleeping bag. I thought it was specially designed for cold weather, though they have their limits.

"Hey, sleepy head," Val spoke, kissing my forehead, "Have a nice sleep?"

"Yes," I spoke groggily, "But then I woke up."

"Let's go, we should be home by noon."

After I dressed, Val rewrapped the blindfold around my head and helped me out of the tent. I don't know why he bothered, if I escaped, I would just head in one general direction.

We trekked on slowly due to the deep snow. I could feel Thor sinking beneath me. The early morning sun was shining from in front of us. We were heading east. A cold breeze steadily swirled around us as it bounced off the mountain slopes. It seemed to seep through my protective clothing. I couldn't wait to get inside a warm house, even if it meant my impending doom.

After what seemed like days, but Val insisted was only a few hours, I felt Thor come to a halt, "Sofia," Val spoke, "You need to switch horses."

"Why?" I asked, turning my head in his general direction which was probably way off.

"The pass gets tricky from here. It's best if you ride with me."

Val helped me dismount Thor and remount Ginger. He then swung up behind me and we took off once again to my doom.

I could smell the masculine musk that emanated off his body. It would have sent hot tinges down my spine if I wasn't his hostage. I could feel the excitement in his muscles as they tensed and relaxed with movement. He was happy to be home.

I was unwillingly riding into my doom. Either being forced to marry the man who killed my family, or killed when that said man gets sick of me. And I can assure you, I'm not an easy person to deal with. I had to find a way to escape, no matter the cost.

I was starting to drift to sleep, my head leaning on Val's poufy chest, when I felt the huge horse stumble. Righting myself, I opened my eyes to darkness. I almost slapped myself when I remembered the blindfold.

"Are you alright, Sofia?" Val's Italian accent spoke behind the darkness.

"I'm not really sure. Where are we?"

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to take off the blindfold, we will be there when we emerge."

The cloth disappeared from my eyes. I blinked a few times and still saw darkness. The only source of light was emanating from a battery powered lantern, Val carried.

"How is this dangerous?" I asked.

Without speaking, Val shifted the light. We were walking on a narrow ledge inside what looked like a cave. One wrong step and we would fall into oblivion. My whole body froze in fear. Why would they even think about going over a pass like that?

Fifteen minutes later, the path started to widen and emerge from the mouth of the pass. We stood at the top of a winding path that I assumed led down to the village below.

I could see the smoke raising out of the brick chimneys. The houses were surprisingly modern, built to keep out the cold. On the far end of town, a huge brick mansion stood. On the outskirts, a few barns stood, covered in snow. The snow covered fields were surrounded by white fences where cows and horses grazed in their own pastures, digging through the deep snow to find tasty morsels of grass.

The village it's self nestled in a huge valley that was surrounded by mountains. The air was slightly thinner than that of sea level, so we still had to be higher up in the peaks.

Val nudged the horse into a slow canter, the other two following close behind. We were met at the bottom of the slope by a few of the villagers, clad in furs. They all carried riffles, pointing the barrels at us. It was hard to believe that I was that dangerous of a hostage, Val managed to get me here all by himself. What a grown up boy he was.

"No hostages, Valerian Giovanni. You of all people should know that," a man who stood directly in front of us spoke in Italian.

"There is a reason why I brought her," Val answered in the same, un-yielding, and unafraid of the guns pointed at us.

"You will go straight to the chief," the man retorted, "And answer to him."

"I was headed there anyway," Val snapped.

"You will go in chains. Even you, Valerian Giovanni, aren't immune to our laws," the man spoke nobly, "Take her."

My body froze as the men drew closer to the horse. There was no way these creeps were going to touch me, not if I had anything to do with it. Val cocked his pistol and pointed it at the man. When he had drawn it, I didn't know, "No one touches her!" he demanded.

It was apparent that Val was of higher rank; the men took a step back, hesitating, unsure whose orders they were to follow. All but one, "You are in violation of our law; section two, paragraph thirteen: 'No outsiders are allowed in our village.' Valerian Giovanni, you must face the consequences!" the man shouted.

"Do not talk to me about our laws, Vincent, I know them better than you, and there are stipulations to that law that I intend to exercise," Val shouted back.

The man was older, probably in his late forties. He had dark olive skin that was wrinkled from age. His brown eyes held the experience of a hard life. Though he was old, he moved swiftly, disarming Val and pulling him off the horse. Two other men helped the first restrain him while the rest took the opportunity to grab me.

I leaped off the huge horse, landing in a fighting stance that was a sort of crouch.

"Ha ha, look, the little girl has some fight in her," one of them jested in Italian. His voice sounded younger. He was covered in furs to keep out the cold. A black beanie covered his head. A full facial beard made him look to be in his early thirties.

"Good, I like them feisty," another replied. He was dressed in furs as well, his face bare. He looked to be in his late twenties.

A third quickly approached me. Instead of cowering like he thought I would do, I jumped up and kicked him in the face. Blood spattered the snow from his nose.

"And she can fight," the young one awed, approaching me slowly.

He stood just out of reach taunting me. I was sizing him up when I heard snow crunching behind me. I turned, but wasn't fast enough. Thick muscular arms picked me up and slammed me into the snow, knocking the air out of my lungs. I heard Val shouting and fighting against his restraints as I lay there, dazed. Before I could recover, a blunt object hit my head, rendering me unconscious.

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	11. Chapter 11 Escape attempt I Short Lived

Ya'll make me want to cry.... I would greatly appreciate some reviews

Chapter 11 – Escape attempt I – Short Lived

I woke up in a bed. It had white sheets with a red and gold comforter. If felt almost scratchy to my overly sensitized skin. My head throbbed as if somebody was banging on the walls of my skull, making my eyeballs seem to bounce in their sockets. Slowly I sat up to look at my surroundings. I was in a decent sized room. The carpet was crème with tan patterns. The walls were white with a few watercolor paintings of the village and surrounding mountains. The wood that made the bed posts, wardrobe, and door were stained a deep mahogany.

I carefully climbed out of bed, cautious of any dizziness from a concussion. I stumbled for the door only to find it locked. The window was shuddered, closed from the outside. As I moved around, I came to realize that I was wearing an ankle length night gown. It was made of thick white cotton, threaded to softness. It reminded me of what women wore in the Victorian era.

A loud knock on the door startled me to attention. The younger guard from earlier entered the room. He was no longer clad in furs, but was wearing jeans and a long-john shirt. His hair was an extremely dark brown that held a red gloss. His chocolate eyes looked down at me hungrily, as if I were an eatable delight. Of course, the 'eating' was referring to something else, something less pleasurable for me, but decadent for him. I shuddered at the thought.

"Do you like the nightgown?" he asked in accented English, "I picked it out myself."

He ran a finger down my arm. I moved to punch him, but he caught my arm. He tossed me on the bed, laughing maliciously.

"Angelo," somebody called in Italian, "Leave her alone."

"Yes, Father," he answered the same. He threw a blob of light blue fabric at me, "Get dressed then knock on the door. The shower is through there," he pointed to another mahogany stained door I had not yet investigated, "You have twenty minutes, or I'm coming in after you," he said the last part seductively, brushing a finger down my face. The then left the room, almost slamming the door behind him.

The bathroom wasn't very big. The floor was made of tiny pink tiles. The walls were peach with a cherry wood medicine cabinet. The set up was simple with a square podium sink made of white porcelain. Opposite of that, stood the toilet that held shelves with decorative candles sitting on them. The bath tub stood at the far end, opposite the door. The walls were the same tiling as the floor. The shower curtain was plain peach with a white accent. Next to the bathtub stood a closet where pink towels and washcloths sat on shelves unhidden by a door.

When I finished bathing, I brushed my long dark brown hair and tied it in a knot at the base of my neck to keep it out of the way. The blob of light blue fabric turned out to be a dress made of cotton. The hem reached my ankles. The sleeves ended just below my elbows with silky white ribbons hanging down. The chest was square, showing slight cleavage.

Dainty white slippers waited by the door as I knocked. The lock clicked and the door swung open. A man I hadn't yet met stood before me. He was tall with the village's traditional features. He looked to be in his mid thirties.

"You will see the chief and he will announce your sentence," he growled putting handcuffs around my wrists.

"Sentence for what, I didn't do anything," I snapped.

"Silence, do not speak unless spoken to!"

"But you're speaking to me," I retorted.

"Do not speak unless told," he countered.

"Whatever," I said for lack of words.

"Quiet," he jerked me into a walk, mumbling in Italian.

He led me into what seemed like a cheap throne room. A man sat in a huge wooden chair. Fur was shaped into cushions that he sat upon. Massive antlers adorned the back. It reminded me of a tricked out version of Gaston's chair in Beauty and the Beast.

The man sitting there had to be in his mid fifties, his hair was dark, but overpowered with gray. His beard was completely gray, but cut short to his face. His eyes were almost amber in color, but not quite as light as Val's.

Speaking of which, I looked around to see him standing to the left side of the room against the wall. He was unshackled and clean, but three guards stood by him.

"Valerian Giovanni," the chief bellowed in Italian, "You are in violation of section two, paragraph thirteen of our laws. The punishments are death to the outsider, and imprisonment for you. How do you plead?"

I gasped. I didn't want to die. I didn't even want to come here. Why would he go through all of that just for me to die in the end? I opened my mouth to protest, but Val spoke before I could say anything.

"It is obvious that I violated the law, but if I remember correctly, it goes on to talk about stipulations," he spoke in Italian.

"Yes, procreation purposes, blah, blah, blah," the chief smiled in realization, "Valerian, this isn't your solution for getting out of marrying Vitoria is it?"

Val sighed, "Yes, it is."

"Is she even willing?"

"It was either this or death."

"She's from the family you were supposed to assassinate?" I noticed the color in the chief's cheeks turned red, but amusement never left his eyes.

"Yes, the others are dead."

"The money," the chief inquired.

Val laughed and glanced at me, "Now that's a story."

"Do tell, and start from the beginning."

Val started from finding me in the bathroom after he killed my brother. Then when he brought me into the woods and gave me the ultimatum. Then when he shot me and got me drunk to remove the bullet. How I attacked him the next morning.

He went on to tell about the meeting with Sean Bryant. How I killed him and took his money; double what was owed. He told about our trek through the mountains and the storm. He spoke in awe on how I gutted the rabbits by myself while he ate food that I cooked. It was good according to his accounts. He spoke in anger about when we arrived and the other members attacked us. I felt the anger. I felt it toward them, toward him, even toward the chief, although he seemed like a nice man. I supposed if I had gotten to know him, he would be. They say the first twenty minutes are crucial for first impressions.

After Val finished, the chief shook his head, "No wonder the poor girl is so defensive. Remove the cuffs." The lock clicked and the cuffs fell off my wrists into the guard's hands. "Come here child," the chief spoke in English. He reached out and held my hands in his, "What is your name?"

"Sofia," I answered.

"Sofia," he repeated, tasting my name on his tongue, "You poor thing. I'm so sorry for my son's reckless behavior. I'm afraid he takes too much after his grandfather. My mother was from Greece."

"I am not here for pity," I answered icily in Italian hiding the fact that I hadn't known Val was the Chief's son. I would interrogate him later, if there was a later.

The chief eyed me for a few seconds, and then laughed, "I have figured your punishment, Valerian Giovanni. You brought her here; you take full responsibility for her. She will stay in your apartment. If you wish to marry her then do so but do it right, no threats. She has to be willing otherwise she is able to sample the other available gentlemen."

There were a few whoops from the younger males in the room.

"Are we clear?"

"I'm not so sure about the 'sampling' of other men," Val protested.

"She is in your care, son, and that is all. If you don't mind, we can adjourn our meeting and carry on," I could hear irritation in his voice.

"Yes, Father," Val answered.

Val held my upper arm and led me through the halls. The floors were carpeted with tan and gold rugs. The walls were painted a deep red with gold trim. It looked very modern for such an isolated village.

"You never told me you spoke Italian," Val said as we entered a suite of rooms at the back of the mansion. It even had its own special hallway.

"I _am_ third generation American," I retorted, "You didn't tell me you were basically a prince."

"I didn't want to intimidate you."

"You shot me," I said abashed.

"Yes, that was necessary. How is your arm?"

"Sore," I growled.

"Good."

"Do you remember what I said?" I asked in a false sweet voice.

"How you vowed to kill me?" he mocked.

"Yes," my voice never lost its sweetness.

"Oh, Sofia, you don't get it do you?" he switched to Italian, "You are mine to do with whatever I please."

He slammed me against the wall behind me. His lips crashed onto mine, his tongue slipping into my mouth before I could clamp it shut. I tried to push him away, but I wasn't strong enough to move his muscular frame.

"If I want to kiss you, I'll kiss you. If I want to hit you," he threw me to the floor.

I landed on my stomach with a soft patter on the pale carpet. He leaned down and lifted me up by my arm. I turned and punched him in the jaw. I went to hit him again, but he caught my arm and twisted it behind my back, slamming me face first into the mint colored wall. I gasped in pain as my barely healed wound stretched.

"It doesn't matter what my father said, you will marry me. They all know you are mine. Now get that through your head," Val threatened in Italian.

Silent tears slid down my face. I knew then what I had to do. A plan presented its self in my head. I would wait until he was asleep, and then sneak out. I did it plenty of times when I was younger.

"It's been a long trip," Val let go and turned me to face him, "Go get some rest, I'll wake you for dinner," he wiped the tears off my face and kissed me lovingly on my forehead. I wanted to spit at him, but though the better of it.

The living room wasn't as big as one would have thought, but it was decent sized. The carpet was tan. The walls were white with a few pictures and knickknacks for décor. A crème colored couch sat a few feet in front of a wide door way that led into a hall. Opposite the couch stood a huge flat screen television that sat on a huge dark stained entertainment stand. In front of the couch stood a dark stained coffee table that held remote controls to whatever electronics Val owned. Opposite to the door we entered, was another large door way that led into a dining room. I decided to explore the apartment before I complied with Val. It was best to know one's surroundings.

The dining room was moderately sized with a dark cherry table that sat six, facing sideways as I entered the room. The floors were covered in hard wood with a red, blue, and crème rug that almost looked like tiles inside a frame. A dark cherry hutch that held knickknacks took up the wall on my left. On wall opposite of me stood a serving table made of the same dark cherry wood. That too held knickknacks. On the far end of the room, a small office lay slightly unnoticed. The floor was carpeted in beige. The desk and other furniture were made of chocolate wood. The walls were a wine color with beige trim. On top of Val's desk stood an expensive computer. How he got internet out here I couldn't fathom.

Next to the entrance for the den, was a large opening to the kitchen on the same wall as the serving bar. The kitchen was pretty big with crème and gray linoleum tiles. The cupboards were a light brown that covered most of the walls. What little wall space there was, was painted a light peach color. The countertops were black. In the center of the room, an island that had cupboards underneath stood. A door that I assumed led outside stood on the wall to my far left.

I followed the hallway Val said led to the bedroom, passing the bathroom on the way. The bathroom was large with gray walls and ceiling. The doors and door frames were accented with gold. The floor was white marble tile with gold rugs next to the claw foot tub that had a mirrored skirt hiding the legs. The marble counter had a double sink and a large mirror. Mirrored cabinets lined the bottom. Dome lights hidden in the ceiling lit up the sink area. A round light hung in the center of the bathroom as well as candle shaped bulbs attached to brass holders in the wall surrounding the tub. White towels hung from a rack on either end of the vanity, and next to the tub.

I made my way to the bedroom. It was very masculine with kaki colored walls, a fancy brown and green carpet, and a beamed ceiling. Surrounding the arched windows was stone instead of the traditional wood. The curtains were also brown and green. The furniture was made of chocolate colored wood, highlighted with golden stain. The king sized bed was covered in white sheets and a green and gold comforter. I buried my head in the down pillows, not bothering to climb under the sheets, and fell fast asleep, tired from the day's events.

Dinner came and went. I didn't speak a word to anybody unless addressed; only giving short answers. Val's father, whose name I learned was Leonardo watched me suspiciously while I concentrated on forcing down my venison steak. Eventually I would call him Lee for short, he never seemed to mind.

At three in the morning, Val was fast asleep. I quickly changed my clothes, donning the snowsuit and grabbing a knife. I quietly snuck to the barn to hijack Thor. When I opened the door, Lee was standing by the horse's stall, holding an apple While Thor bit into it. He was wearing a red robe and boots over his pajamas.

"Sofia, I don't blame you for trying, but we have rules, even for our own. They catch you, they kill you." He explained.

"You know what he's going to do," it wasn't a question.

"Yes, that's why I made the stipulation, to give you time. He'll be good to you if you give him a chance."

Before I could retort, I was grabbed from behind by my hair, "Where do you think you're running away to?" Val's voice growled.

"Valerian," Leonardo started.

"She's my responsibility, remember?" Val snapped, jerking me back. I caught a glimpse of his bare chest. His legs too were bare, but slippers adorned his feet. Was he in his boxers?

"You hurt her, I'll gut you myself," Lee warned.

Val didn't answer, but led me back to his apartment by my hair. He roughly opened the door to his bedroom, which I was forced to share, and threw me into the room. He tore off my clothes and forced a nightgown over my head. The knife I had taken was attached to the belt on my jeans. I completely forgot about it during the fight to keep from getting scalped, some good that had done.

Val threw me onto the bed, wrapping a shackle around my ankle. He lay on top of me, roughly holding my face, "You listen to me, and you listen closely. Try anything like that again and you won't have to worry about the guards. I'll come after you and when I find you, you will wish I had killed you in your bathroom. Now, you are going to follow me anywhere and everywhere. At night, you will be chained to the bed until you learn to behave. Do you understand, Sofia?" his voice was deadly.

I spit in his face in response.

Val laughed wiping his face, "That's why I like you. You present a challenge."

"I am _not_ yours, nor will I ever be," I growled.

"We will see about that," he kissed me on the lips then rolled off of me to go to sleep.

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	12. Chapter 12 Hazardous Confrontations

Sicario

Chapter 12 – Hazardous Confrontations

I woke up in a tight ball on the edge of the bed. Val wasn't in sight. The sun was shining dully through the swarm of clouds overhead, barely illuminating the room. Forgetting that my ankle was tethered to the bed post, I crawled out of bed. I fell to the floor in an odd angle with a loud thud. A squeak escaped my lips as I landed. I flipped onto my back, letting my trapped leg rest on the bed and waited as patiently as I could for Val to return.

"What in the world are you doing?" Val laughed when he finally entered the room. It was about time.

"Well, dearest," I spoke sweetly, "I just missed you so much, I wanted to come and see you, but I forgot," I switched to an insolent tone, "You cuffed me to the fucking bed."

"For that, you can just stay there," Val retorted.

"Fine, if you're going to treat me like a dog, then I'll act like one."

I reached under the thick cotton fabric of my nightgown and pulled down my panties, removing them from my free leg and squatted awkwardly above the carpet.

"What the hell are you doing?" Val growled.

"Dogs pee on furniture and you're treating me like one, so I figured I would do what they do," I spoke righting myself enough to look at him.

Val shook his head, moving toward me.

"Bark, bark, bark," I mocked then growled in my best doggie voice as he approached me. He reached his arm out to quiet my antics, but I bit his hand. Not hard enough to draw blood, but it would definitely leave a mark.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he shouted, pushing me back and unlocking the cuff from my ankle.

I jumped up, letting my panties fall to the floor and leaped at him. Not quite doggie like, but dogs also don't have opposable thumbs. He caught me mid air and slammed me on the bed. I didn't let go of him, causing him to fall on top of me, while I struggled underneath his weight to get back up.

"I highly suggest you knock it the fuck off, before I do something we both will regret," Val hissed.

I finally noticed his erection pressing on my pelvis through his pants. My nightgown was pushed up to my thighs from our struggling and my panties were on the floor. I was completely vulnerable.

I gasped, "You wouldn't."

"I would just to prove you wrong," he spat, "Get dressed, it's almost lunch time."

A knock sounded on the door of Val's suite; the one attached to the main house in the living room. The outside door was in the kitchen. I could hear Lee's voice through the bedroom door. They argued quietly, faint whispers to my ears. Val's voice was agitated when he eventually called for me.

"Yes, Mater," I retorted, sounding like Jeanie from the television show "I dream of Jeanie." I emerged out of the room wearing a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt that had a monkey on it.

"My father said you have to go on a date with Benito Lombardi tonight."

"Oh, master," I began like Jeanie, but added acidly, "Who is he to control my life?"

Like father, like son. They both were controlling bastards.

I glared at both men. Standing next to each other, I could tell they were father and son. They stood at the same height. At one time Lee probably had the same build, but was now too old to keep with his exercise regimen. They both had the same dark wavy hair; Lee's was shorter and covered in gray.

They say that if you want to know what a man will look like when he gets older to look at his father. Austin didn't live long enough to see so much as a wrinkle.

"It's either go with Benito, or stay here with my son," Lee countered, snapping me to reality.

"Fine, I'll go," I gave in, glaring at Val, who returned it with one of his own.

"Good, he'll be here at Seven," Lee exited the apartment.

The day passed quickly as I dreaded for seven o'clock to come. I supposed it was better than being stuck here in Val's clutches. Where did two people go on a date in this little village? I supposed there had to be a hangout somewhere. Of course, this 'little' village wasn't very little. It was smaller than a town, but it was decent sized. I could in vision a gas station on the corner with a convenient store inside. A small diner would sit down the road that would be the teen hangout. Maybe there was a bar in the back for adults to wind down the day.

A knock sounded on the kitchen door that led outside. I had just put on my shoes. I wore a pair of blue jeans and a black button up top. I had taken off the wedding band the second we left the hotel and hid it in the depths of my rucksack. Val had worn his, but removed it after we arrived.

I emerged from the living room to find Val standing in the door way blocking a man from entering. I could have envisioned him as a dog, growling at the trespasser.

"Don't you think it's rude not inviting a guest inside?" I asked, grabbing my thick coat off the rack. Val turned and glared at me, not speaking, "Never mind, I'm ready."

Pushing past Val, I left the illuminated warmth of the apartment. "I'm Sofia," I spoke holding out my right hand to my new prison guard.

"I'm Benito, Ben for short," he answered, kissing the back of my hand.

He was a typical Italian, with chocolate colored eyes, and dark wavy hair. His olive skin was smooth with youth. He couldn't have been much older than Val.

Ben took me to the local diner, which was also the younger generation's hang out. Surprise, surprise. It was a big place with worn down hard wood floors. Booth tables lined the walls that had red upholstered seats. Tables were scattered around the middle with the same upholstery covered chairs. It reminded me of a scene in a fifties movie.

We made small talk while we ate our home cooked meals. He explained to me the basic rules of the village, and how they had electricity; by several solar powered generators, with several back up sources such as water power, steam, they could even burn wood if it came to that.

Ben worked at the plant that maintained the generators. It was actually built in one of the surrounding mountains. In fact, several buildings were built inside the mountains, carefully carved in the tough rock. There was even a shelter buried deep in the peaks. He promised to take me for a tour if Val would allow it. I highly doubted he would.

I also found out that Ben's father was the captain of the guard. There was really no army, seeing as the village was so isolated. If not out on an assignment, a village member was either on guard, working in the factories, or teaching the younger villagers in the arts of assassination. Most had permanent jobs like Ben; others would float around doing whatever was needed.

When I arrived back in my apartment sized prison, Val was sitting on the couch watching a blank television screen, obviously waiting for me like a nervous father fretting over their daughter's first date.

"Did you have a good time?" Val asked, restrained.

"Oh, yes, Bennie is so charming. I think I'll go out with him again. Maybe next time we'll go back to his place," I mocked.

"You're insufferable," he stood up.

"Oh master," I switched to Jeanie's voice, "My poor master is upset because he had to share."

"Don't worry, I won't be sharing anything," he ran a finger down my arm. "You look beautiful," he kissed my cheek and walked into the kitchen.

I went into the bedroom and changed for bed. It was only twelve thirty, but all the testosterone emanating off of Val wore me out. He really needed to get laid, and not by me.

When I next woke up, it was still dark. The digital clock read five after two in the morning. Shivering, I moved closer to Val's side of the bed and found it empty.

I quietly walked into the living room to find Val sound asleep with a book lying on his chest. I set the book on the coffee table and covered him with a blanket, grabbing another for myself. I turned off the light and went back to bed.

I awoke the next morning to a finger caressing my face. Val was lying next to me, hovering close to my body.

"What are you doing?" I asked groggily, slapping his hand away.

"Amazed you're still here," he answered.

"Where am I supposed to go?"

"No more escape attempts?"

"No, I probably wouldn't survive, and that's without you catching me."

That was a half lie. I would have probably frozen to death out there in the wilderness, so waiting for spring would have been my best bet. But I wasn't going to tell him that.

Val looked at me, unbelieving. He saw right through my lie. "Get up, I'll make breakfast."

A fist pounding on the kitchen door startled us both from our scrambled eggs. Val reluctantly got up to answer it. From the dining room, where I was, I could hear high pitched screaming.

"How dare you have another woman here, I am your fiancé. You can't do this! Where is the little slut? I'm going to teach her a thing or two about home wrecking."

A girl, a bit older than I, stomped into the dining room. She had long chestnut hair and big almond eyes. If she wasn't bursting my eardrums, I would have found her pretty.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" her screeching ruined the beautiful Italian she spoke, "You home wrecking bitch! I'm going to kill you!"

I looked at her like a cat who just found an injured bird. A psychotic smirk curved my lips. Though my demeanor was calm, I was ready to kill. I really needed to beat the living crap out of somebody. It would have definitely helped lift my spirits.

Val had wrestled with me enough times to realize that this was the calm before the storm, "Vitoria, you shouldn't," he started.

"Who the hell are you? You are just a guilty as her," she shrieked. It sounded like nails on a chalkboard. I almost covered my ears to prevent my eardrums from popping.

"Guilty?" I hissed, "Guilty? Let me remind you, dear, your so called 'fiancé' killed my family, kidnapped me, and dragged me here against my will, all to get out of marrying _you_. If anybody here is guilty, it is you, for being a dumb bitch."

"Shut up, you whore."

She pulled her hand back to slap me, but I caught her arm and punched her in the face with my free hand. She fell to the floor knocking over a chair.

"Why didn't you stop her? She has no right to hit me," she shrieked at Val, standing back up.

"It was you who assaulted her, and may I remind you, it took three guards to bring her in, all twice her size," Val spoke collected.

"Then how did _you_ get her here?" Vitoria demanded.

"I shot her," Val shrugged gesturing to my arm that still wasn't fully healed. A scar covered my skin where the bullet had penetrated.

"That's it! I'm calling off the marriage," she shrieked.

"I believe that was the point," I added.

"You can keep your whore!"

"Whore," I asked as she stomped away, "Who the-"

"Sofia," Val held me from going after her, "Just let her go."

I pushed him away and began picking up our half eaten breakfast, jumping as the door slammed.

"Thank you for not beating the shit out of her," Val spoke joining me in the kitchen.

"You're welcome, but don't expect me to be so nice next time," I snapped.

Val laughed, "Good thing she doesn't know you're sleeping in my bed."

"When she finds out, be sure to tell her you chain me to it," I growled

4


	13. Chapter 13 Escape attempt II Jagged Rock

Sicario

Chapter 13 – Escape Attempt II – Jagged Rocks

The next morning I was ordered by Lee to go on a date with a man named Dante Trentino. He was a tall man in his late twenties. He had short black hair and light brown eyes.

The date it's self was uneventful. He took me to the same place as Ben did. Dante told me about himself. He was the butcher's son and will inherit the business. Not a very interesting profession if you ask me. When we got back to Val's prison, he walked me to the door that led into the kitchen.

"You should let me come in," he cooed, the alcohol was strong on his breath. Did he even care or realize that even if I was interested, Val would never let that happen?

"I don't think that's such a good idea," I said shivering in the cold.

"Oh, come on, I promise I'll warm you up," he pushed me against the brick wall next to the door that was sheltered by the roof of the porch.

His lips violated mine roughly while his hands, unwelcome, explored my body. I tried to push him away, but he was a lot stronger than I was. The stubble on his unshaven face felt like sandpaper against my skin. His hands were rough, and hard. I really needed to start carrying a knife. Yeah, like Val would ever let that happen.

Suddenly his body was ripped away from mine and thrown into the snow. Val stood in front of me wearing men's sweat pants and a black tank top. His muscles shook with anger under his olive skin. His face was contorted as frown lines wrinkled his smooth skin. His eyes were deadly. Even in all my antics, I never saw him so angry.

"You so much as look at her wrong, I'll kill you myself," he growled dangerously then turned to me, "Are you alright?" I nodded quietly, still glued to the wall. "Good, now get inside," he grabbed my arm and pulled me through the door, slamming it behind him.

I walked into the bedroom to change my clothes. I was slightly dazed after what had taken place. I didn't know Val could get so angry, he was usually so patient. Val followed close behind me. Here comes the lecture.

"I don't know why you go on these dates," he complained sitting on the bed. His eyes studied me as I moved. He acted as if we were a couple just having a simple conversation while I changed.

"Besides the fact that your father makes me, why not," I asked pulling on pants under my dress. I wasn't going to let him see any part of me.

"Because you're going to marry me, it's pointless to keep going out and almost getting raped."

I slipped out of the dress and pulled on the pajama top, "Marry you?" I stalked forward and poked Val's tight chest, "If you want me so much then pursue me correctly."

What made him so special to automatically think he just gets to keep me?

"Why would I pursue you? I already have you."

"No, you don't. If you want me to marry you willingly, then you should be the one to take me out and get to know me," I snapped then left the room.

The next morning I woke up in the bed. I clearly remember going to sleep on the couch.

"Good morning, sunshine," Val kissed my cheek.

"Oh go to hell," I snapped, trying to get out of his grasp, but he held me tight.

"No," Val replied stubbornly, squeezing my body tighter to prevent me from escaping his clutches.

"I can't breathe," I wheezed.

"If you can talk, then you can breathe," he contradicted.

"Let me go," I wheezed again.

Val's grip loosened slightly, but he didn't let go, "I like laying like this," he nuzzled my neck. It sent hot waves down my spine. Unfortunately for me, it felt erotic.

"I don't," I twisted my body to get out of his embrace, but only ended up facing him.

He chuckled, "You're lucky I'm hungry."

Val opened his arms, letting me go. I jumped out bed like an animal from a cage, heading for the bathroom. When I was finished brushing my teeth, I headed in the kitchen to make breakfast. Val took his turn in the bathroom.

"How are you?" Val asked as I made pancakes.

"Just peachy," I snapped.

"I was talking about last night," he touched a finger shaped bruise on my upper arm.

"That was from you," I tore my arm away from him.

"I'm going to talk to my father about this. Dante should be arrested. This dating is pointless."

"Don't bother," I dumped a few pancakes onto a plate and shoved it into his hands.

"Aren't you making yourself any?" he asked while I cleaned up my mess.

"I'm not hungry," I snapped throwing the pan in the sink and stomping out of the room.

I hated being kept here. Whether or not it was nice, it was still a prison. Why was he keeping me? My life was complicated enough then he had to go and screw it up. I had almost convinced my dad to let me move away. Just a few more bombardments and I would have been free to move away.

The months passed. To me it felt like years. The winds bounced off the mountains making the hidden village of assassins seem forever in a blizzard. There was more snow than ever I had seen before. Special jobs were assigned to the villagers just to clear the snow. They piled it up in the surrounding meadows or carted it out into the forest.

Val rarely let me leave site of the apartment. He even talked to his father about not letting me go out with the other men. They argued about it for an hour, until Val finally pointed out that there wasn't much choice of women in the village and every date I went on put me in danger. I was basically fresh meat among hungry wolves. Lee reluctantly agreed. I was then Val's prisoner and I hated every second of this new life. I would have rather been subjected to potential rape then spend every waking minute with Val.

I took to riding Thor, the huge black stallion, to reach an illusion of peace, of course, under Val's watchful eye. It didn't bother me much, though I rode in circles in an indoor arena, I was free. Val came to realize that when I said I had lessons, I was learning how to trick ride. Of course, I was just beginning, so I only really knew the basics that any brave person could perform.

I spent the long nights trapped in Val's muscular grasp. He stopped chaining me to the bed, figuring the weather would hinder my escape. Of course it did, but that was the only thing that kept me from running away. That was, until the snow melted.

Winter slowly turned into spring, but it wasn't until June that the snow finally went away. Val grew slightly wary, thinking I would run at the first chance. After a month, he relaxed. I led him in to a false sense of security by waiting so long. It was well into spring when I struck.

Slowly, I built up a food stock of rice and other dried goods, hiding them in the cupboards right under Val's nose. We still had the gear from when I was forced to come here. I made sure that was easily accessible for my escape.

This time I was smarter; I didn't wait until Val fell to sleep. I put him to sleep and made sure he stayed there. A few months prior, I asked Val to get me medication to help me sleep. I ground up four pills and added them to his supper. I knew the food would dilute the effect, and they were weak in strength. I didn't want him waking up before morning.

We ate our meal in silence. I made a quick spaghetti with extra garlic to hide the taste of the pills. I continued about the day, doing the dishes, and watching television, and waited for him to fall asleep.

Once he was unconscious, I raced to the barn and readied Thor. Under great protest, he galloped to the entrance of the cave. We were met by two guards who I barely managed to over power. Most of the credit was Thor's who reared and kicked on in the head with his massive hoof.

I pushed the giant horse quickly through the pass, carefully avoiding the edge. As he raced as fast as he could over the narrow path, his hoof slipped on a loose rock causing him to stumble. I lost my balance and fell to off the horses back, tumbling over the edge and down into the abyss. I screamed with fright as I fell, landing at the bottom with a loud grunt.

I couldn't breathe, my body wouldn't move. My limbs felt so heavy. My head throbbed as I laid there, I must have hit it on a rock. I was going to die and I wasn't even a mile away, trapped deep in this abyss.

As I recovered, I felt soft breathing blowing on my hair. I looked up to see Thor's soft muzzle nudging my head. The drop ended only a few feet below. Sorely, I climbed back on Thor and pushed him the rest of the way through the pass. My body still ached, but I was quickly recuperating. When we emerged, I pushed him hard north-west, away from the mountains and to my freedom.

The village was so deep in the mountains; I wondered when the peaks would end. The second day of our journey, Thor slipped again, causing me to lose my balance. I fell on a jagged rock that was shaped perfectly to puncture my skin. It cut deep into my leg, making riding difficult and walking even worse.

The third day, we didn't get very far. Thor limped slightly and his ankle was warm. I used a thick stick as a cane to help me walk over the rough terrain. I slipped a few times in the mud causing more pain to emanate through my leg. Thor fared no better. He kept stumbling over the rocky terrain, causing more pain. Maybe I should have headed south.

On the morning of the fourth day, I heard men shouting. I was nowhere near civilization, it was the Apalates. I would miss my chance to see my friends again. My freedom was forfeit.

The scouting party was on me in no time. I was so weak from walking on my injured leg, I couldn't fight them. Two men grabbed me roughly and lifted me to my feet. I screamed in pain and fell back down.

"You're lucky our orders are to take you in alive," a man spoke in Italian.

Another kneeled down to examine my leg. I hissed as he un-wrapped my homemade bandage, "It's not as bad as it looks but it's beginning to get infected," he spoke in a husky voice.

"Do what you can, hurry up," another snapped. He had to be in his mid thirties, with two day old stubble on his chin. I recognized him to be a friend of Val's. I believe his name was Lucio. "That was a very stupid move, Sofia, Val is pissed."

I glared up at him but flinched as something cold was smeared on my wound. When my leg was wrapped in a clean bandage, I was lifted to my feet. My hands were forced behind my back, tied tightly with a thick rope. Although I fought back, I was no match against five full grown muscled assassins.

The journey back was relatively short. Apparently, I hadn't gotten very far. It only took a day and a half, traveling at their pace to return to the village. We also followed a different route. It was much easier than the one I followed. I was forced to ride one of the men's shorter horses while he held the reins. One of Thor's reigns was tied to the saddle of another horse that led him easily through the woods. At night, I was tied to a stake in the center of a large tent. My back was pressed against a post as I sat and attempted to sleep. I was continuously guarded by two men lest I escape my tight bonds. There was no way that would happen, they were just too tight.

I kicked and screamed as we emerged through the pass. They forced me to walk but my leg was causing me to walk too slowly to keep up with their quick pace. One of the men had to carry me over his shoulder. That was until I kneed him in the groin. Two other men dragged me the rest of the way. I fought and kicked, dragging my feet. By the time we reached the mansion, my pants were torn and my legs scraped.

They brought me to a small jail house that was attached to the mansion. I found that the mansion doubled as the court house; sort of how a castle would, but on a smaller scale. Val and his father met us inside. Lee looked at me with an expression of great disappointment as if I was his sixteen year old daughter who got pregnant and dropped out of school. Val glared down at me as I was forced onto my knees in front of him, my injured leg sending waves of pain through my body. He slapped me hard across the face. My head spun to the side as heat flooded my cheek. I shook my head to get my hair out of my eyes and spit at him. He wanted me to be his prisoner; I was sure going to play my part.

"Take her," Leonardo ordered gently.

My captors dragged me away, while I fought to get free. Val's eyes never lost their glare as I was dragged away. Why did I deserve this sort of treatment? What did I do besides try to escape? How could they hold it against me? I was ripped out of my life, kidnapped in laymen's terms. How didn't they expect me to try and run? Any sensible person would.

They brought me down a narrow hallway and tossed me into a cell, locking the door behind me. The walls were made of primitive stone, probably from the dark ages. The floors and ceiling were the same. All was mortared together with some sort of plaster. The dungeon was definitely old. The bars were the old fashioned iron, imbedded in the stone.

"Turn against the bars," Lucio ordered as the others left. I obeyed. He cut the bonds, letting my hands free. I rubbed my wrists, glaring at him. "You did this to yourself," he reprimanded, shaking his head.

3


	14. Chapter 14 Imprisoned

Thank you Laheba Alam and Selyss for the great reviews.

Chapter 14 – Imprisoned

I turned to take in my surroundings. It was a typical, old fashioned cell. Three sides were thick stone walls. The one side was made of huge black bars. A small barred window, too high to see out of, provided ventilation and light. A tiny metal toilet sat in the far corner. It was shockingly clean for being in such a dingy cell. A small cot served as a bed. The green and white stripped mattress was thin and had small holes with patches poorly sewn to cover them. What looked like blood stained a large space in the center. Someone had tried to scrub it out, but the attempt was in vain. White cotton sheets were folded up neatly on top, waiting for me to make the bed myself.

I flopped onto the thin mattress, silently cursing at the world. There was no way I brought this upon myself. I didn't ask Val to kidnap me. As far as I was concerned, I was better off dead. It was way better than being stuck here, forever a slave whether I was treated as one or not. The fact was, I was a hostage, and it didn't matter if I spent my life in here or in Val's arms.

Banging on the bars startled me out of my sleep. I jumped up, hissing at the pain in my leg as I put weight on the injury. I looked up in time to see Val unlocking the door to my cell. His amber eyes continued to glare at me as he entered. Three others were with him, one looked like a doctor. The other two were around Val's age. I knew them to be friends of his. They were both big and bulky, but not as big as Val. They had the same traditional olive skin with brown eyes and dark hair. One had short hair while the other's was almost as long as Val's, tied back in a small ponytail.

"What the hell do you want?" I spat.

"Your leg needs tending," he growled back.

"What's more pain?"

"Do you want the infection to spread through your body? It's bad enough we have to take the leg."

"Take my leg?" I was stunned.

"I was hoping you would cooperate, but just in case," he advanced on me, shoving me onto the narrow cot.

I attempted to struggle, but he was too fast and too strong for me to over power. He straddled my chest, holding my arms above my head, only putting enough weight to keep me immobile. One of the men held my good leg so I couldn't kick. Of course, I tried like hell. The other man held my injured leg firm, but gently. I did not try to kick with this leg, just moving it caused pain to roll through my body. The doctor came around Val, looking down at me with pity. He injected something into a vein on my arm, ignoring my curses and threats. I was pinned down. They were going to take my leg and there was nothing I could do about it. The doctor became a giant blob as my vision began to blur. He spoke words softly that I couldn't comprehend as I fell into the silence of my mind.

I woke up groggily. At first I was confused but the memories of what had transpired flowed back into my head. I wanted to cry.

The infection couldn't have been that bad. A few weeks of antibiotics and I should have been fine. There was no need to take my leg. I felt down to where my lost limb should have been. My fingers were met with a chunk of meat the same length and size of my leg. It felt warm to the touch. I could feel my fingers touching the meat and the meat touching my fingers. The leg was still there. Was I hallucinating? I pulled back the blankets to find myself wearing thick fleece, brown pants. Both legs and feet were intact. I pulled up my pant leg to find my wound covered in clean white bandages.

THAT ASSHOLE!

I was cursing Val's name with every word I could muster when a voice spoke, "That's not very lady like," speak of the devil and he shall rise.

I looked to the source of the voice; Val was sitting against the wall opposite the cot. His legs were bent, tucked in front of his body. He lazily rested his elbows on his knees. His dark hair hung in his face, hiding his amber eyes. It made him look dark, but in a sexy way. Why would he have stayed?

"I never claimed to be a lady," I snapped. I slowly stood up, testing my leg, "What was the point of knocking me out?"

My leg burned as weight pressed on it. It hurt, but it was bearable.

"Marcello needed to get out the debris. He could have just numbed the sight, but we would have been devoid of your beautiful dramatic performance."

He stood up swiftly, with the cat like grace only an assassin could obtain. When he got close enough to me, I pulled my arm back and punched him as hard as I could. His face swung to the side, his longish hair covering his eyes. My hand throbbed, but Val recovered quickly.

He lifted a hand to slap me but I ducked past him with a great protest from my leg. I kept from crying in pain as I moved around him. He caught me quickly; of course I didn't have anywhere to go. My body slammed against the wall, causing the air to rush out of my lungs. My head vibrated as it hit the stone behind me.

"Let's make a deal," he said, his Italian voice making me melt. Stupid, super cute assassin mind tricks. Well, it would have been ear tricks, because I was hearing his voice, not thinking it.

"Sure, how about this: I go free, and you can go rot in hell," I snapped. He couldn't get to me that easily.

"Listen," he growled, putting his hand around my neck. This tipped my chin up, forcing me to look at him, "You can stay in here until you die, or you can come back with me. I spent two hours trying to talk my father into this and there are terms," he paused.

"What, I have to be your slave?" I snapped trying to throw him off of me, but he had me firmly pinned against the wall.

"No, but you're giving me ideas. Anyway, you can't leave the house unless you're with me or my father or any other appointed guard upon my command. No riding, no going outside. You can't so much as open a window for fresh air unless I tell you."

"Do you want to hold my hand while I pee too?"

"No using the bathroom without my permission."

"Sounds like I'm better off here," I growled.

"Look around you, Sofia. Do you want to spend the rest of your life in this dark, dirty cell?"

"No," I answered without thinking.

"Do we have a deal?"

I glared at him, unspeaking.

He took that as a yes, "Good," he kissed me on the lips. It wasn't a lover's kiss, but it wasn't innocent either. He called for a guard to unlock the cell and carried me bridal style out of the building, like I couldn't walk on my own.

We were met by the dark sky as Val walked down the cobble stone path toward his apartment. He held me tighter against him to help protect me from the cool air. I buried my head under his jacket, seeing nothing but darkness on the way. I had no idea why he went outside to get into his apartment, I supposed maybe it was faster and it avoided the people in the mansion.

I felt my weight shift as he opened the door to the kitchen. He walked expertly through the darkness, turning a light on in the bathroom and setting me down on the toilet. Val turned on the water in the tub then started taking my shirt off. I slapped at his hands and glared at him.

"It's not like I haven't seen you naked before," he smirked.

My look only got meaner. I couldn't believe he was trying to bathe me again. I wasn't a child.

"Sofia," he sighed, "You're dirty and you can't get your leg wet."

"That's what saran wrap is for," I snapped.

"Just let me help you."

I growled but let him help me. There was no point in fighting; he was going to what he wanted to do. Once the tub was full, Val helped me sit in the hot water. I rested my leg on the side of the tub. The water was nice and hot, caressing my cold and exhausted body. I could feel the dirt, acquired from almost a week of travel and stay in the jail, melt off my body.

I bathed in protest as Val insisted on washing me like a child. He scrubbed and rinsed my greasy brown hair, washed my back and arms. I slapped him away when it came to the rest of my body. I was injured, not paralyzed. I wasn't his child, I wasn't his wife. I was his captive, his hostage. It wasn't his place to care for me so intimately, nor did he have the right.

When I was deemed clean enough, Val helped me stand and wrapped me in a thick white towel he had pulled from the cupboard. Under my great protest, he carried my towel covered body into the bedroom and helped me dress into a silky light blue nightgown that reached my middle thigh. It wasn't like I couldn't do it on my own, I had for twenty-one years. My birthday passed in April. I think he just wanted to choose my clothes for me. Also, the sick pleasure he got out of seeing and touching my naked body.

"Are you hungry?" Val asked.

I realized I hadn't eaten since right before I was forced back into the village, almost a day ago. I nodded my head. Val moved to pick me up, but I slapped him away. Hobbling, I followed Val into the kitchen where he cooked me a nice healthy meal of venison burgers and corn.

The burgers were tender and juicy, but turned to ash in my mouth. The corn was sweet and crunchy, but I just couldn't tolerate the taste. It wasn't that Val was a bad cook, he didn't over or undercook things. It was just that my stomach was in knots. My nerves were frayed. I was lucky if I didn't throw up. The result was that I only picked at my small meal, hardly eating anything.

I had just realized that his father had lived in the mansion, why didn't Val partake in the same luxury? He would have had the meals brought to him; he could have had his bathrooms cleaned. Instead, I was stuck doing most of the work. When I worded my question, Val answered, trying to hide the irritation in his voice. He was still mad at me. He would get over it.

He told me that he had asked his father for his own place for privacy and freedom. Lee had insisted it be attached to the main house. He didn't want the maids taking care of him until he was too busy leading the village and didn't have time to cook or clean. Even before that, it was his mother who took care of the mansion, of course, with some help from the maids. When it was time, his wife would be the one to take care of the private part of the mansion. Most of the maids would be transferred to other things and the rest would take care of the public places. Work was never hard to find in a self sustaining village of assassins.

"How's your leg?" he asked when he finished explaining.

He just had to bring that up, "It hurts," I snapped.

"If it's any consolation, Thor is fine, just a twisted ankle."

I glared at him. I knew enough about horses to know that, hence the reason why I walked with an injured leg instead of riding. With a few days of rest, he would be rearing to go, pardon the pun.

"Now what?" he asked after we finished cleaning the dishes.

"You tell me, dungeon master," I snipped.

"It's getting late, I'm sure you're tired, come."

Val gently held my hand and led me back to the bedroom. I sat on the bed and sighed with surprised relief. Val disappeared under the bed. A few seconds later, something cold wrapped around my ankle. I heard the click of a lock.

I was on my feet in an instant, "What the hell are you doing?" I shrieked. A cuff was wrapped around my good leg. I could hear the chain rattling as I moved.

"I'm not taking any chances," he said almost sympathetically, almost, "The chain stretches through the house."

"It's really creepy that you have this," I commented.

"Assassin," he reminded me.

"One of these days, Val," I started.

"What, strait to the moon?" he mimicked honeymooners.

"No, straight to hell," I snapped.

He smiled, stripping down to black cotton boxer-briefs and slid into the bed, "Come," he tugged my arm, trying to coax me into the bed.

"I'm not a fucking dog!" I yelled, tearing my arm from his grasp.

Grabbing a pillow, I hobbled into the living room, the chain jangling in my wake.

"What are you doing?" Val asked.

"Sleeping on the couch, it's not like I can escape," I shook my foot causing the chain to clank more, emphasizing my imprisonment.

Val lifted the chain and pulled, causing me to fall on my face, cushioned by the pillow. I would have been fine, but I couldn't put much weight on my opposite leg, so I just let myself fall to save my body from further injury. He drew in the chain, dragging me with it. My short nightgown slid up, revealing my matching panties. Leave it to Val to pick out a matching set of lingerie. Knowing him, he got it from Victoria's Secret, leaving me in the hotel while sleeping.

"You will sleep in here with me," he growled, his voice a deadly tone.

There was no use fighting, Val was going to have his way. I wasn't even sure if I had the energy to fight. Liquid hot tears flowed down my cheeks as Val lifted me to the bed. This wasn't fair. What did I do to deserve being a prisoner? Plotting Val's death, I slowly surrendered into the abyss of my dreams.

_I dreamt that I was back at home in Austin's study. The brown leather chair I sat in felt sticky against my skin. The book shelf covered walls seemed to be closing in on me. Austin sat behind his desk with an authoritative look he inherited from our father. The look he always had when he was reprimanding me for something. If it was a lecture, our father would have used the same look and voice minutes before._

_Austin was saying something inaudible. The sound didn't seem to be turned on. His lips were moving, as if he were yelling, trying desperately to make me hear what he was saying._

_Suddenly the scene froze with the sound of a record scratching. Everything changed. I was running in the woods, away from what, I wasn't sure. All I knew was that I was scared out of my mind. Of what, I didn't know either. As fast as I was, something still managed to catch up to me. I was tackled to the ground by something I couldn't see that landed on top of me. I couldn't move. My breath came in ragged spurts, my heart pounded out of my chest. What was it that attacked me? Why couldn't I see it?_

I woke up screaming, fidgeting around so much, I fell to the floor. My arms were still pinned to my sides as I continued to struggle. Why wasn't I free? It was just a dream. Dreams couldn't hurt you while you were awake.

"Sofia," Val soothed, but a worried look was plastered on his face, "Sofia, calm down, you're going to make it worse."

Make what worse? Why can't I move?

I calmed down enough to realize that the long chain that was attached to my ankle was securely wrapped around my body. Had I tossed and turned that much in my sleep?

"Are you alright?" Val asked assessing the damage. The chain dug deep into my arms, leaving link shaped welts in my skin. "I'll rig it up so this doesn't happen again."

"It wouldn't happen if you unchained me," I hissed.

"What, and let you run free? Not happening," Val called from a closet in the hallway.

He returned, and fidgeted around with the metal bed frame. When he finished, he left me enough chain to move around, and hooked a link in a clasp that was attached to the bed. Now I had my own retractable leash.

"Just press this button when you want it loose," he pointed to a nail sized button on the doohickey.

"Right," I said getting back into the bed.

"What were you dreaming about?"

"It doesn't matter," I growled and went back to sleep.

4


	15. Chapter 15 Visions

xmoonlitx - I'll never tell, you have to keep reading *evil laughter*

rocktheroxie I forgot, what's scary?

Laheba Alam Thank you

Chapter 15 – Visions

A loud bang of a door slamming startled me out of my restless sleep. I didn't ever want to wake up, not to this nightmare. High pitched screeching made me quickly cover my ears. Where the hell was Val and where the hell did the banshee come from? I didn't think banshees existed. Then again, I didn't think the Apalates existed either.

"How could you do this to me?" Vitoria's high Italian voice screamed, "Why couldn't you just let her rot like the dog she is?" That bitch.

"What did you just call me?" I yelled from the bedroom. Really, I couldn't hear what she called me over her screeching. It was like somebody didn't know how to play the violin and was pressing as hard as they could on the strings with the bow.

"This is none of your concern, Vitoria," Val snapped, ignoring my call.

"It damn well is, you're my fiancé," she yelled.

"No, I'm not!" Val yelled back.

"Yes you are. We _are_ getting married and your father will step down as chief, and we will rule together, and we will run this place the way it was supposed to be ran." So that's why she was so desperate, she was power hungry.

I carefully climbed out of bed, causing the chain to rattle. Vitoria stopped in the middle of whatever she was saying and stomped into the bedroom, screaming some nonsense about something I couldn't comprehend. Did this woman even breathe? She paused abruptly, her mouth hanging open. I stood next to the bed, still wearing the slinky light blue nightgown. I looked at her in shock as she took in my attire. Her eyes then wandered down to the chain, following it from my ankle to the bed.

"You have her chained to the bed?" she gasped, "You slut!"

"I'm a slut?" I reeled, just itching to punch her. "I'm the one locked in chains! Forced! Unwilling! How the hell am I the slut?"

"You home wrecking bitch!" She lunged at me, slapping me hard across the face.

My head spun to the side, her fake nails scratching my cheek. I felt blood oozing down my face and drip onto my shoulder. This was it; I was going to strangle the life out of her pretty little neck. I didn't care if Val tried to stop me. This bitch was going down.

I pulled my fist back and punched her in the nose. I could hear the crunch as the cartilage broke. Blood poured down her face, flooding her chest and dripped on the carpet. She staggered several steps back to stop herself from falling to the floor. My hand throbbed as my knuckles began to swell. Screaming with rage, I lunged at her, forgetting my leg was chained to the bed. I struggled against my bonds, not understanding why I couldn't move any further. Before I could compensate, Val grabbed Vitoria around the waist, pulling her out of the room before I could do any more damage. I could hear him telling her how lucky she was that I was chained to the bed. I was a tiger, deprived of its prey because the stupid circus had to keep me on a tight leash.

I sat on the edge of the mattress, trying to calm myself. I was practicing a breathing exercise my sensei taught me. Normally it would help, but that was back when I was mad at Austin or our father for something or another. This wasn't the case. I wanted to rip somebody limb from limb with my bare hands.

Stupid Val had to return before I was calm enough to see him. When he got close enough, I stood up and swung my already injured fist at his face. He caught my wrist and threw me on the bed. I kept trying to get back up, but Val would push me back down.

"Stop, Sofia, you've torn your stitches," Val said holding me to the bed.

I looked down to see blood seeping through the bandage on my leg. That was when the adrenaline wore off and the pain kicked in. What perfect timing. I hissed through my teeth and clenched the blankets. I didn't understand why it hurt so much; it was only a flesh wound. Maybe it was all the weight I had put on it.

"Are you in pain?" Val asked.

"No, it just tickles," I snapped sarcastically.

Val huffed and left the room. A minute later, he returned, "Marcello will be here after he is finished fixing Vitoria's nose."

"Why bother?" I think it was an improvement," I snapped, "Who's Marcello?"

"The village doctor; tended your leg, ring any bells?"

"Whatever," I grunted, sitting up, wincing at my leg. I noticed blood dripped down my face so I wiped it off just to get more blood.

The doctor whose name was obviously Marcello came fifteen minutes later. He reprimanded Val for having me chained to the bed, claiming it would damage my emotional health. Too bad Val already did that when he murdered my family. First he cleaned and bandaged my cheek, reprimanding Val for letting Vitoria do such a thing. My leg was re-stitched with stronger thread, while I protested. Marcello didn't have time to prepare anesthesia so I had to suffer with out. The thread was thicker and hurt more as it slid through my skin. When he finished, he examined my hand. It wasn't broken, but I was prescribed icepacks for the swelling and Advil for the pain and inflammation. I wish he would have given me something stronger.

Finally Dr. Jekyll left, emphasizing to Val my strong need to rest and to be in a stress free environment. Like that was possible. He also made him promise not to chain me to the bed claiming that he would be back periodically to check on my status. Marcello also said he was going to tell Lee about the way I was being treated.

As soon as he was out the door, Val rounded on me, "It's time you ate."

"What are you making?" I asked.

"Nothing, you're cooking," he snapped.

"It looks like I'm not eating then," I snapped back.

Val stomped into the kitchen, dragging me with him. He took out a pot, filled it with water, and set it to boil. He then rummaged through a cupboard and tossed a box of shells and cheese at me. I instinctively caught it, wincing at my injured hand.

"It's your own fault," he commented.

Like hell it was. "No, it's your fault, for invading my life!"

"Shut up, Sofia!"

"You shut up!" I dropped the box on the floor and lunged at him.

Due to my injuries, it wasn't much of a fight. Val easily lifted me up and slammed me on the table, pinning my arms. I struggled under his weight, trying to kick him. That was until he positioned himself between my legs so I couldn't make any sort of contact.

We both stopped our struggle abruptly as we became acutely aware of each other. Neither of us moved. Val's lips were close to mine. I could smell the minty freshness of his breath. I could almost taste his tongue on mine. His full pink lips were open slightly, yearning to be pressed against mine. I moved my head closer to his, our lips barely touching. A sizzling sound broke us out of our trance. Val jumped and raced to the stove where the pot of water was boiling over, smothering the flames on the burner.

The day passed and we ignored each other. Neither of us would acknowledge what had happened. What had almost happened, I should say. I sat on the couch and stared absently at the television. There was nothing good on. Not even on the discovery channel. Val locked himself in his study, not coming out until dinner. He still had me chained to the bed, so there was no way I could escape. I decided to be nice and make dinner. We ate left over pork chops from the other night. When we had finished eating, Val retreated back into his study, and didn't come back out until bed.

_Have you ever had a dream that felt so real, you knew it wasn't really a dream? A dream so vivid, when a hand touches your arm, you can feel their body heat? The scene so detailed, there was no way you weren't really there? The smells so pungent, you could taste them._

_ This had to be a dream; Austin was dead. Val made sure of that. Yet here he was, embracing me in a hug that almost broke my ribs; one of Austie's infamous bear hugs._

_ I could feel his breath wisp through my hair as he spoke over my shoulder. It tickled my neck, sending chills down my spine. I could feel the heat of his body as he held me in his protective, brotherly embrace. Tears flowed freely down my face, staining his white shirt. In fact, everything was white, even the scenery. It was just a big blob of white, no shape at all. We seemed to float above the floor, which was white, so it just blended in the walls._

_ Austin let go, taking my face in his hands and wiping my tears away with his thumbs, "Just be happy, Sofia, that's all we want," he spoke soothingly. He kissed my forehead and was gone._

I woke up with my face buried in the white pillow. I could feel wetness on my cheeks. My body felt drained of all energy. Austin wanted me to be happy. Or was it my conscience telling me what I wanted to hear?

"Sofia, why are you crying?" Val asked.

I looked over at him, tears still flowing freely. His amber eyes looked back curiously. I weakly punched him in the face, my energy spent from crying. I hadn't known I was actually crying why I slept. I continued to pathetically beat him with my fists. Val rolled on top of me so I couldn't move. He embraced me in a hug, holding my body still. I beat on his back while I continued to cry. This was his entire fault. Everything that had happened to me since he entered my life was his fault, and he was going to pay.

To calm me, he lightly sung me an Italian song about a man who was desperately in love with a woman, who didn't know he existed. The chorus was where he confessed his love to her. At the end, she turned him away. Grief wrought, he killed himself.

What a wonderful song to sing to somebody who was so homicidal. Despite its contents, it was a beautiful song. Val's smooth deep voice added to the beauty. By the time he was finished, I was calm enough to be let up, but he didn't. He continued to lay on me and sung another song.

It was about a man observing how much his woman loved him. It reminded me of Faith Hill's 'The Way You Love Me,' except the gender was reversed and it was sung in Italian. Before he finished the song, I was sound asleep. I had no dreams. Well, that I could remember. I just floated along in bliss of piano music. What the song was, I hadn't a clue, but it was soothing.

I woke up in Val's arms, my head rested on his shoulder. His right arm was wrapped around me, playing with my hair. His skin was warm and soft against mine. He smelled of Old Spice. I yawned and stretched my muscles.

"Feel better?" Val asked as I opened my eyes.

"No," I snapped, rolling out of bed. I was still angry at him.

I went into the kitchen, still adorning the slinky nightgown Val had put on me the night before. It was my turn to make breakfast.

"Sofia, what were you dreaming about that hurt you so much?" Val asked, sitting down at the breakfast bar while I made French toast.

I glared at him, "My brother."

A knock sounded on the door in the living room that led into the mansion. He swiftly left to answer it, leaving me to tend to the stove in peace.

I heard a few murmurs, and then the door closed. Val reentered the kitchen, grumbling under his breath. His brows were formed in a frown, while his amber eyes searched through his thoughts.

"We'll be leaving here in a few weeks," Val announced after a few minutes.

Woe is me.

"Where to," I asked, trying to be civil.

"Training mission north of here, usually this time of year I get a regular mission, but since I was the one who brought you here, I'm the lucky one who gets to train you."

"I'm _so_ honored," I spoke sardonically.

"You should be I'm the best assassin we have. It his time, my father was the best. It runs in our family. That is why we run things. Our son will be trained to rule from birth."

"Our son? Sorry buddy, but you and I aren't even marrying, let along having kids."

Val smiled ruefully, "We leave as soon as your leg heals."

We still weren't having a kid, and there was nothing he could do about it. Actually he could, but that would be considered rape, and if he wanted to stoop to that level, well there was just nothing I could do about it except fight like hell. But don't think for a minute I would purposely have a child, at least with him.

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	16. Chapter 16 Hot Springs

Laheba Alam xmoonlitx

As usual thank you both. And to those of you who added me to your favorites list... Thank You!!!

Chapter 16 – Hot Springs

Two weeks later, my gash was a thick pink line two inches long on my calf. It was another scar to add to my collection. To my demise, Dr. Jekyll had declared me fit for travel. I suppose it was better than being chained to a bed twenty-four hours a day.

Val and I traveled north with the horses. He had packed Daisy light, but we still brought the tent. Wherever we were going would only take a few days. The mountain trees were lush with green needles. The ground had high foliage that Thor nibbled on as we passed. We moved higher up in the mountains not stopping until a few hours before sunset. It was beautiful in the mountains. I would have loved it if it didn't serve as my prison, keeping me trapped here until Val decided to kill me.

I set up the tent while Val tied a chain around a large tree. I ignored what he was doing and finished my tasks. I was double checking the stakes when I heard a lock click and a weight was added to my ankle. I thought I had gotten away from the chain and anchor.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I shouted, spooking the horses. They twitched uncomfortably, but fortunately didn't try to flee. I supposed they were used to my yelling by this point.

"I'm not taking any chances. The chain is long enough for you to finish setting up camp. I'm going hunting," Val answered sternly.

"This is bull shit!" I ranted.

"You brought this upon yourself."

"Like hell I did! You were the one who dragged me half way around the world! I didn't ask to come here!"

"You would rather I killed you before?" Val steamed.

I thought for a millisecond, "Yes."

Val came at me in a flash and pinned me against a tree, holding a knife to my throat, "I still could," he growled.

"You won't, you want me to marry you so you don't have to marry Vitoria," I spat, pushing him away, "I don't see why, you two are perfect for each other."

Val came at me again. I hooked my free leg around one of his and flipped him on his back, jumping on top of him. He quickly rolled us over so he was on top, pinning my arms next to my head. I tried to struggle, but his body weight was too much. Damn my small frame.

I was forced to inhale his scent as he trailed my jaw with his nose. He smelled deliciously of Old Spice. My skin tingled where his connected with my cheek. I could feel his muscles tense and relax with effort. I was curiously aware of his body as it rubbed against mine. Chills rippled down my spine, turning into a hot pulse. My breath came in ragged gasps. My pulse raced as if it were hosting NASCAR.

"It's a good thing you already know how to fight; it will cut our trip in half," he spoke, flipping off of me and trotting away. I let out a breath that I didn't even realize I was holding.

I didn't move at first, lying on the ground for several minutes. I was pissed at myself for melting into him. Why did he have to be so attractive that our bouts got me hot? That bastard killed my family. I should have loathed him. Part of me did. The other part….. Well, I refused to acknowledge the other part.

I set to work finishing camp, my mind in jumbles. I was just finishing tending the horses when Val returned with an already skinned rabbit. I glared at him and set to making stew with the vegetables and spices he brought. Without a word, I tore the rabbit from his grasp, cut it into bite sized pieces, and tossed it into a pot of boiling water I had started a while before. I then began to chop the vegetables and tossed them in with it. We were both silent while our meal cooked.

When we finished eating, Val threw a sparing stick at me. I caught it instinctively. It was smooth carved wood that stood the same height as me. Was he crazy to trust me with any sort of weapon at this point? He didn't even trust me alone, why would he have given me a weapon? I could have smashed his skull in and got away and nobody would know until I was long gone. The idea was overly tempting but I doubted I could have matched his strength let along over power him.

"To save us more time, we will be sparring at night," Val stated, then advanced.

According to my pretend sensei, I had good skills for not being trained with sticks, and of course, not being able to move freely. But I was barely able to hold my own for more than a few seconds. My arm stung as a bruise began to form from where Val's stick hit me. Now I really wanted to bash his skull in.

"Ugh, I can't move with this stupid chain," I complained, tugging at the metal attached to my leg.

"If I unlock it, do you promise not to run?" he asked.

"Even if I did, I wouldn't get very far, you're faster than I am," I answered.

"At least you know your limits."

Val unchained my leg and we began again. Without the chain holding me back, I did a bit better. I managed to last a whole minuet. Val doubled over in laughter as I hopped around from a sharp whack on my leg. I made a noise of frustration, and advanced on him without warning. He grabbed my stick and flipped me onto my back. I didn't even have a chance.

"Good, but don't let your aggression get the best of you, it's your downfall," he instructed.

"What?" I asked, springing to my feet. A nice little trick I learned from my real sensei.

"You can use your anger, but don't let it overpower you. Keep a level head," Val explained.

"Oh, I get it."

"One more time, then we'll go to bed."

We fought for a few more minutes. I really had no chance against such a tall, muscular person. It was strait physics. He was twice my size; it was like putting Kane against Rey Mysterio. Of course, wrestling is all staged, but if they fought for real, well they probably should have an ambulance on standby because Rey would get his rear end handed to him with a bow on it and gift wrapped.

As Val promised, we had gone to bed after only a few minutes. Of course, he chained my leg again. This was beginning to get ridiculous. Sure, I would have ran at the first given chance, but why bother chaining me up, if I was trapped next to him on the inside of the sleeping bag? There was no way I could even move without disturbing his sleep.

I woke up inevitably trapped in Val's arms. I was too tired to complain. My limbs felt like weights were hooked to my skin. When I tried to move, every muscle screamed in achy protest. I let out a groan as I rolled onto my back.

Val chuckled beside me, "Did I work you too hard?"

"Shut up," I snapped.

"Come, your muscles will feel better as you move, and if we hurry, we can make it to the hot springs by two."

"Hot springs? Let's go!"

I jumped up enthusiastically and headed outside. I ate quickly and had half the camp packed before Val was finished with his breakfast. He helped me load Daisy and we took off once again, moving at a brisk pace, always heading north.

The woods were getting denser as we traveled. The foliage was growing in smaller patches to make room for the large trees. I heard a stream trickle nearby, the cool water flowing past us, though I could not see where it lay. The air was ever thinner, the horses' breaths becoming more ragged as they worked. We must have been heading higher above sea level.

"You know, we would get there faster with four wheelers," I complained after many hours. My legs were beginning to cramp and my rear was getting sore from the saddle.

"Yes, but it's too hard to maneuver through the trees. And the wheels leave tracks for others to follow. With horses, people will think it's a wild animal of some sort."

"What about professional trackers?"

"Wild horses are known to be seen through here. They're rare, but they are here."

A few more hours passed before we came upon the source of the trickling water. I could feel the humidity in the air as we got closer. The ground grew softer beneath the horses hooves. The trees were larger, and further apart. The foliage was bright green, the ferns growing level with my head upon Thor's back.

We emerged in a clearing that was on the edge of a large pond. Steam rose from the water, making the air warm with moisture. Lush green grass grew on the banks, swaying back and forth in the soft breeze. I could see flat rocks protruding out from the water's edge reminding me of a short dock leading out to sea.

I jumped off my horse, and removed his bridal, adorning him with a halter. I didn't understand how horses could tolerate a bit being stuck in their mouth all day. I tethered Thor to a tree, leaving enough line so he could eat the plush grass, which he enjoyed gratefully. I could tell this by the nudge he gave me as I walked away, almost knocking me over. I took care of the horses' needs while Val set up camp. We still had leftover stew from the night before, so Val didn't have to hunt. Once everything was set, I walked to the water.

"Hold on there, speedy," Val grabbed my arm, "We spar first."

"All work and no play makes Sofia a dull girl," I retorted.

"Don't worry, there will be plenty time for play," he cooed.

Our sparing didn't last very long. I was exhausted from the night before, then traveling all day. Val looked just as tired. His moves weren't as fluid and quick as they normally were. I even managed to knock him down a few times. After the third time of landing on his back, Val didn't move. He just lay there, glaring up at the sky.

"Fine, go ahead," he sighed, slowly getting up.

I put my stick away, grabbed a towel and headed toward the steaming pond. The sound of feet following me made me stop and turn around, "What are you doing?" I asked Val.

"You don't think you're the only one who gets to enjoy the spring do you?" he spoke as he removed his black t-shirt that had ACDC written in big red letters on the front.

I was momentarily distracted by his toned chest and smooth olive skin that I didn't answer right away, "No, but you can't go with me, you're male."

"So there's a special time for males now? That's racist."

"The word you're looking for is sexist, and you're not going with me."

Val laughed, "Come, Sofia, it's not like I haven't seen you without clothes before."

"It doesn't-," he removed his pants and stood before me in his naked glory. Apparently he wasn't shy, but then again, what was there to be ashamed of? "-Matter" I finished.

Rolling my eyes at him, I turned my head to hide my blush. "If you try anything, I'll… I'll," I couldn't think of anything I could do.

"You'll what, scream?" he stalked close to me, backing me into a nearby tree, "Nobody is around to hear you."

His lips brushed my cheek as he spoke in a dangerously soft tone. I wasn't sure if I actually wanted him to ravage me, or if I wanted to punch his nose in. His lips lingered on my face as his body pressed against mine. I was beginning to have those unwanted feelings again, the chills that accumulated when he got too close to me, the urges that only identified myself to be a female and him to be a male, and couldn't comprehend anything different. Before I could react, he took off into the water, leaving me stunned.

I grumbled obscenities as I slowly undressed. Timidly, I approached the water, leaving my clothes next to Val's in the grass. The small beach was made of large flat rocks that protruded from the ground. The water was light blue, shimmering in the early fading sunlight, making the surface sparkle like crystal.

I timidly dipped my foot into the water to test the temperature. It was hot like a Jacuzzi, but not hot enough to burn my skin. I looked around for Val, but couldn't see him. Suddenly, he jumped up from below, grabbed my hand, and pulled. I screamed as I tumbled into the water.

"You prick," I sputtered. I went to slap him, but he dodged out of the way. The water was deep, reaching my neck. It only went up to Val's chest.

"Stop being such a baby," he teased.

"I'll show you baby," I lunged at him, taking his legs out, causing him to dunk under the water.

He surfaced and jumped at me. I held onto him and we both went under. He was smirking as we surfaced, showing beautiful strait white teeth. His amber eyes were lit with excitement. We went on like this for a few minutes, dunking each other as if we had been friends. In those moments we weren't assassin and hostage, we were Valerian Giovanni and Sofia Bianchi, one male, the other female, both experiencing something we couldn't name. Some would describe it as forming a special bond, the beginning of a relationship. I called it nonsense.

"Do you want to see something cool?" he asked.

"Sure," I answered.

"Follow me," he took off swimming.

The water must have gotten deeper toward the center of the pond, because we both had to tread water when he stopped. "Come," Val surface-dived and disappeared under the water. I followed close behind.

The water stung my eyes slightly as we swam. I could barely see Val's olive skin in the fading light. The pond was very deep; I was beginning to need air. At the bottom we angled into a cave. When I didn't think I could hold my breath any longer, we surfaced inside a cavern, treading water. The ceiling funneled up, opening toward the darkening sky. It reminded me of a party hat. The sunset let just a little bit of light through the hole, making the cavern very dim.

"Let's go, before we can't see anymore," Val grabbed my hand and led me through the quickly darkening cavern.

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	17. Chapter 17 Compound

xmoonlitx - Never. Lol just kidding.

Chapter 17 – Compound

I woke up the next morning feeling fully rested. My body was no longer sore thanks to the effects of the hot spring. Val was nowhere in sight. I nearly jumped for joy, but then I heard his voice outside the tent.

"…No, we'll be there by tomorrow evening….. I wanted to show Sofia the spring………………..She doesn't have a choice. She's going to marry me whether she wants to or not…… My father agrees, she's either going to marry me within five years, or die……. He wants to give her time. I say if it's bound to happen……Yeah. I'll see you in a day. Ciao."

I gasped in shock. Marry him or die? That's not much of a choice. I heard a phone snap shut. The zipper to the tent opened. I scooted to the far side, tears swelled my eyes. This just wasn't fair. How could he give me that choice? Who was he to give it to me? This wasn't the sixteenth century, and yes, chivalry is dead, but so is capital punishment and dueling. How could he do something so primitive? Then again an isolated village normally doesn't change much, look at the hidden tribes in South America they still go around naked.

"You heard everything didn't you?" he asked.

I nodded, tears flowing down my face.

"There's no point blubbering about it, let's go."

"Why?" I whispered.

"Why, what," He snapped.

"Why the ultimatum?"

"Because that's the way it is, now get over it."

"Get over it?" I stood up, the chain Val put around my ankle raddled with every movement, "You want me to choose between you and death and expect me to get over it?"

I advanced toward him, the chain sliding in my wake. It reminded me of a metal snake, with its teeth in my flesh, sinking its poison into my veins, the poison being Val. I bent down and picked up the chain.

"You chain me up like a prisoner and expect me to get over it?" I threw the chain at him, "When the time comes, Valerian Giovanni, I will choose death rather than having to spend one more second with you. You and Vitoria are a perfect match. You both have your heads so far up your own asses, sh-"

I was cut off when Val jerked the chain. An inexperienced person would have fallen, but I lifted my leg and had to hop the few paces as he pulled me against him, my leg wrapped around his body. He grabbed my hair and forced me to look up at him. In other circumstances, this would have been erotic, but I was fuming. It only registered as a situation that I had to overcome.

"You, Sofia Bianchi, are my prisoner, and I will do with you what I wish. You're lucky I haven't…" he trailed off, pressing my body harder into his. I was standing on tip-toe, "You will be my prisoner until you accept your place at my side, or until you are dead," Val growled. His face was close to mine. I could feel the anger emanating off of him, "I don't understand why you fight me. What's so bad about being my wife?"

"You killed my family," I hissed, trying to get out of his grasp, but he was too strong.

"I would have killed you too, if you weren't so…" he took a deep breath, inhaling my scent.

"What?" I was stunned.

"You should have seen yourself, scared to death, but you had that defiant look on your face. Then you grabbed the soap. That hurt by the way."

"That was the point," I snapped.

"The way you fought me, you showed no fear although I'm twice your size and was armed. Sofia, I didn't kill you because you captured me.

"If I choose to marry you, what do I tell the kids? 'You have no Grandma and Grandpa, or Uncle Austie because Daddy broke into Grandpa's house and killed them, then was 'captivated' by mommy, so he kidnapped her and forced me to marry him and that's when you came along,'" I spat.

"You can tell them whatever you want," Val smirked.

"You're pathetic," I wiggled out of his grasp, and stomped past him out of the tent, going as far toward the spring as the chain would allow, which was only to the edge of camp.

"You can't tell me you're not intrigued by the idea," Val grabbed me from behind and pulled me to his chest.

I sighed, giving in enough to rest the back of my head against his body, "Maybe if circumstances were different."

We stood in that position for a minute, looking at the pond a few yards away. The water was like a mirror, reflecting the early sun's rays. The mountains went on forever in the distance, some looking blue from the reflection of sky on snow. Finally Val spoke, "Let's go, we're wasting daylight."

The trees got closer together as the forest grew denser. There was no longer plush foliage due to the thickness of the wood. By midday, we traveled around a peak and headed down hill. This way wasn't nearly as easy. Val and I had to walk, leading the horses single file down the almost invisible path. I tripped over rocks that jutted out of the terrain, earning many scrapes and bruises from the others that cushioned my fall. Thor stumbled a few times, once knocking me over. Luckily the slope wasn't very slippery or we would have been in far worse condition.

Finally, as the light faded, we reached a plateau where we made camp and sparred. I was so tired from our travels that I could barely hold my own against Val. Frustrated with my lack of ambition, he cut our session early. While we sat by the fire, the continued our lesson using theory.

The next evening, we arrived in what looked to me like a military compound. The ground was packed down to hard dirt. There were many tents of various sizes and shapes. All had a wood plaque carved with the tent's purpose, hanging above the flaps.

Val smiled crookedly at somebody as he led us down the last hill. I followed his gaze to see a male standing in the center of the road a few yards away. He looked to be in his early thirties with dark honey eyes. His hair was short, but black and silky like Val's. He had the same goofy grin plastered on his face.

I looked at Val in revelation.

"What?" he asked.

"You're gay!" I accused.

Val laughed dismounting and walking the rest of the way to the guy, "Sofia, meet my _cousin_, Emiliano."

"You can call me Emmi," he spoke, grabbing my hand and kissing my knuckles.

I rolled my eyes at him and glared at Val, not speaking a word. This guy was stuck in the nineteenth century just as Val was stuck in the sixteenth.

"You'll have to excuse her, she's not too happy with me at the moment. She heard our conversation on the phone," Val explained.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. It must be horrible for you," Emmi said to me.

I lunged at him. How dare he, he was just as guilty as Val, though it wasn't him who did the actual kidnapping, he was still guilty by association. Val caught me around the waist before I could make any contact.

"I did not mean to offend you. It's a terrible thing that you are in this situation and you have my sympathies. But I assure you, Val is a good man, he will treat you well."

His words were sweet, his voice sincere. It enraged me even more, "I do not need your pity!" I spat, fighting harder against Val's grasp.

"I'm going to take her to the cabin before she gets loose," Val spoke, flipping me over his shoulder and carrying me away like a sack of grain. Eventually, I hung limply, finally tiring myself out.

I felt my weight shift as Val opened the door to a small cottage. He walked a few paces and tossed me onto the large bed. I began to protest, but he kissed me on the lips. He caught me off guard so it was a few seconds before I fought back, though it was in vain.

"You are brilliant, he said releasing me, "Stay here, I'll be back."

I looked around my surroundings. The cottage was the size of the honeymoon suite we had stayed in. The entrance was also a sitting area. A tiny kitchen was straight ahead from the sitting room. It was just big enough for a few feet of counter space, a microwave, and a dorm room fridge. To the right of the kitchen was a door, I assumed led into the bathroom. The bedroom, where I sat on the bed, was beyond the kitchen, separated by white curtains. The walls of the cottage were painted tan. The curtains and bedspread were pure white. The floor was carpeted with a tan carpet that had black splashes of color. I got up and checked out the bathroom. It was small with white walls and a crème tiled floor. The tub was simple every day bathtub slash shower with a blue floral curtain. The drip rugs were plain light blue. A light blue and towel and a crème towel hung side by side on a rack with matching washcloths laying over them. How cute, his and hers.

"Why am I brilliant?" I asked a Val upon his arrival.

"You gave me an idea and a perfect chance to take out your frustration. You will be sparring with Emmi tomorrow. You've been fighting me too much and you know my moves too well." Like that had made any difference.

I looked at him for a minute then changed the subject, "What is this place?"

"Basic training for our village, it's very new so it's still in the experimentation stage. If it works out, then we'll make it more permanent. When kids turn sixteen, they will come here and finish their schooling; academic and weaponry. They will graduate at eighteen."

"What about before they are sixteen?" I inquired.

"They will be taught like they always do in the village. We have a small school for academics and a few fighting skills, but we mostly rely upon the parents to teach their children. If the program goes well, we might begin at a younger age."

"Why am _I_ here?"

"We train our women as well as the men, though they don't normally go on missions, we believe as the Spartans did, strong women create strong babies."

"You actually trust me with this 'training'?"

"No, but it was one of my father's conditions."

"What exactly were the terms?"

Val smiled not answering. Why wouldn't he tell me? What was there to hide, it wasn't like I had any choice.

I yawned and stretched across the bed trying to control my temper.

"Tired?" Val asked.

"No," I retorted.

"Let's go eat, and then we can go to bed."

I yawned again, "I'll pass on the food."

"I am hungry, and I'm not leaving you here alone. Besides, you need your strength."

Val dragged me out of the bed and outside. It was steadily growing darker. The tents were a silhouette against the backdrop of a mountain sunset. He led me into a dark, empty tent where two trays of food sat, covered with foil on a table next to the door. Val grabbed the trays and led me back to the cottage. He transferred the food onto plates and put them in the microwave to heat them up.

"Why did you drag me out when all you had to do was grab those? There was absolutely no time for me to escape," I asked.

"I thought maybe they were still serving. I'm glad they though enough to leave us some food, I bet it was Emmi's doing," Val answered handing me the heated plate then put the other plate in the microwave.

The food was decent, for cafeteria, mass made food. It was roasted chicken with gravy with mashed potatoes and green beans. The meat was tender, but slightly dry. The mashed potatoes needed salt and butter. The green beans were good, there was no way you could mess those up, unless you were a complete idiot. I quickly ate my meal, washed my plate and went to bed before Val had finished. It saved me from any conversation I would have to have with him prior to sleep.

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	18. Chapter 18 Almost a Death

rocktheroxie I know I know!!! Thank you

Laheba Alam I did hurry, but I had to work

xmoonlitx yeah, I thought that was pretty funny too, and it's something I would do

Princess Skye Thank you

Chapter 18 – Almost a Death

"Sofia, it's time to get up," Val gently shook my shoulder.

"What time is it?" I asked groggily. It was still dark outside.

"Five-thirty, you slept through the wakeup call. I let you sleep for a bit longer, you must be tired."

"Why is it so cold?" I asked, huddling tighter under the blankets.

"Autumn is fast approaching," he answered.

"But its September," I argued.

"Mountains," he reminded me, "Come, we're going to be late."

"For what," I asked.

"Breakfast," Val replied with a smile.

"Don't we have a kitchen here?" I really didn't want to leave the warmth of the blankets.

"Yes, but that's for luxury. You're in training. The only reason why you don't stay in the women's dorm is because you'll try to escape. Of course you will also have private tutoring by me. Now get up."

I groaned, crawling out of the warm bed. I put on the clothes Val handed to me. The pants were made of thin black material, but were thick enough to keep warm in cold weather. How ever that worked. The bottoms clung to my ankles to fit into the boots better. The shirt was made of the same material, the long sleeves clinging to my wrists. The black leather boots had a quarter-inch heel and ran up to my mid calf. The thick material acted like a shin guard, protecting me from any low blows. Black leather gloves reached the middle of my arm, but were as flexible as cotton. It must have taken a long time to work the material to achieve such a perfect flexibility.

I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked like a ninja, just without the sword. Exactly how Val looked when he killed my family, minus the duster. I wanted to tear the clothes off my body. I shouldn't have been wearing them. I shouldn't have even been cooperating with Val in learning how to become an assassin. I supposed I didn't really have a choice since it was a life or death situation.

"Are you ready, Sofia?" Val asked breaking my thoughts.

"No," I replied flatly, I couldn't take my eyes off my reflection.

Val grabbed my shoulders, turning me to face him. He was dressed in the same attire as I, but around his left arm was a gold colored band, I assumed to signify his rank. I half expected to see a Nazi symbol on it. Actually there was a crown printed in black ink.

"Let's go," he said grabbing my hand and leading me to the same tent where we got the trays the prior night.

The mess tent was about thirty-five feet long, and thirty feet wide. The food was passed buffet style on stove like heaters lining the wall opposite the door. The tables were actually wooden picnic tables, set in rows throughout the tent. There was no dedicated spot for the teachers, but as usual, humans were cliquey.

Older looking men and women that had yellow bands around their left arms, similar to Val's, sat at the far end to the right of the door. Then the boys and girls seemed to sit according to age that matched their band color.

The youngest sat closest to the teachers. They were wearing bright orange bands. The next row had blue bands. The row after that wore green. On the furthest end, opposite the staff, were the eldest trainees, which adorned red bands.

"Why don't I have a band?" I asked while we moved through the buffet line.

Because you are being privately tutored, and we haven't yet determined your status," Val answered.

"How do you determine that?"

"You will be given a series of tests so we can determine what training you require."

By now we had passed through the line. Val led us over to the 'Teachers' table.

"Then what," I asked, only nibbling on my eggs. I really wasn't that hungry, all this commotion was making me sick.

"We will train you accordingly."

"This is stupid, I'm not doing it." Why would I want to learn the trade that killed my family, to kill other people's families? I think not.

"Get it through your head, Sofia, you are trapped here whether you marry me or not. Emmi isn't going to take it easy on you today, so I suggest you cooperate or you will get your ass kicked. Though I think you need it," Val growled.

He's the one who needed the ass kicking, and I would have been more than glad to do that. I breathed in deeply, and let the air out slowly. I needed to control my temper. There was no use causing a scene in front of all these people. I probably would have just been chained up again.

When we finally exited the tent, the sun was beginning to rise over the mountains, illuminating the sky in colors of pinks and gold. The mountains ahead of us were still silhouettes in the coming dawn, but were becoming brighter as each second passed. Val led us through the compound to a field. The field was separated into fifty foot sections by white painted fencing. In some of the sections, were 'classes' where different fighting practices were being taught. Val led me through a chute that sat between the sections for easier access.

I observed the classes as we passed. Some were grappling with wooden swords, some with fighting sticks, others with their fists. Some of the classes were in lines learning proper form. I followed Val to the farthest corner of the field through the maze of chutes. We passed through a gate into a section where Emmi was waiting.

"Morning," Val greeted is cousin.

"Morning," Emmi replied, "Good morning, Sofia."

I grunted in reply.

"Not a morning person I take it?" he smiled.

I glared at him.

"You have to forgive her, she's still angry at me," Val said.

Emmi led us through a stretching exercise, and then we began our match. I eyed him warily, watching for any sign of him advancing; a finger twitch, an eye movement, anything that could give him away.

There was none.

He advanced without warning, swinging his right fist. I caught his arm and flipped him over. At the same time, he grabbed my other arm, pulling me on top of him. Before I could recover, he rolled over so I was underneath him. Immediately, I flipped him off of me and sprang to my feet, getting back into a fighting stance. Emmi was already on his, and beginning to advance before I was ready.

We grappled for a while, Emmi testing my skill. He was bigger and stronger than I, so I had to use this against him. Finally he got frustrated enough to fight me with full force. The surrounding classes paused to watch our fight. I had a few close calls, but managed to wiggle out of his grasp. Val stopped us just as I was about to give up. One thing Emmi had over me was stamina.

"Whoever taught you, did very well," Emmi complemented.

"Thanks, my sensei was actually from Japan, I could hardly understand a word he said," I replied.

"Did he teach you to use a katana?"

I nodded.

"We shall see," Val spoke, stepping in, "I've seen you with a fighting stick."

He handed me a Japanese style sword. The hilt was wrapped in black leather made from, I assumed, horse skin as standard. The sheath was made of wood, painted black. I drew the blade out of its casing. The metal was shining as if it had never been used. Val removed his own identical sword.

I waved the blade I held through the air to get the feel of its weight and dimensions. It was a well made sword, the blade as heavy as the handle. It moved through the air, cutting it as is passed, just as a sword should do. I raised the metal in front of my face to acknowledge Val's challenge.

Our blades flashed in the morning sunlight. They made loud metallic sounds as they clashed together in our deadly dance. I yelped as Val's blade caught my arm, tarring the fabric on my shirt and scraping my skin. The sharp edge cut clean, but wasn't very deep. It still hurt.

"You bastard," I growled, advancing on him.

I kept in mind what he had said about my anger. My sensei used to say the same thing, or something like it. I could barely understand a word the man said in the first place. Val and I sparred on. Out of sheer luck and a few low blows, I managed to best him. The crowd gasped as my foot pinned his sword arm to the ground. My blade was firmly planted at his throat. I had won.

"Wow, Sofia, you bested the best," Emmi said in awe.

"You can let me up now," Val spoke.

I didn't move. I glared at him, pushing the tip of my blade into his neck. I had the perfect opportunity to kill the man that ruined my life.

"Sofia, you can let me up," Val repeated nervously.

I smiled ruefully. My eyes had to be a wild blaze. I knew my hair was a mess, some of it falling out of the holder I used to tie it back. Val knew exactly what I was thinking; I could kill him right now, and nobody could stop me. Just a flick of my wrist and his life would be forfeit. Of course, I would be killed immediately. Would it have been worth it?

I removed the blade from his neck. Emmi promptly took it out of my grasp while I continued to glare at Val.

"Enough for today," Val said huskily, springing to his feet.

He roughly grabbed me by my upper arm. I yelped as his hand wrapped around my wound. Ignoring my pain, Val led me away, leaving a crowd of whispering trainees in our wake. He marched me quickly through the compound; I had to jog to keep pace. He threw me ahead of him into the cottage and slammed the door closed.

"What the hell were you doing?" Val yelled.

"Proving a point," I smiled maliciously. There was no way he was going to ruin my fun, morbid or not.

"Point proven, you do that again, I'll throw you in the brig."

"Oh, it's not like I haven't been there before," I mocked.

Val glared at me. He looked like he wanted to slap me. I held my head high, daring him to hit me. He turned toward the door.

"Stay here," he growled, leaving the cottage.

I removed my shirt, wincing as the cloth brushed my wound. It was deeper than I had thought, but it would be fine in a few days. I hissed in pain as I poured rubbing alcohol over the gash and wrapped my arm with gauze. It was proving difficult as I only had one hand. I was still struggling when Val returned a few minutes later carrying a tray filled with food. He laughed at my failed attempts to secure the gauze, set the tray on the counter, and then helped me with the bandage.

I slapped his hand away and continued to struggle on my own. Val kept trying to help, but I slapped him away. Finally I ended up locking myself in the bathroom to keep him away. After about twenty minutes of struggling, I gave up, and let Val tend my wound. He added ointment that I hadn't seen in the cupboard, so the bandage wouldn't stick to the scab.

3


	19. Chapter 19 Escape AttemptIII Not much

Thank You rootbeer'n'chocolate For putting this on your favorites list (also, to everybody else who did)

Laheba Alam

It's alright, I'm impatient too. lol

xmoonlitx

There's always somebody that is better than the best.

Chapter 19 – Escape Attempt III– Not much of an attempt

We ate our lunch in silence. It consisted of macaroni and cheese and stewed tomatoes. It was alright, I guess. There was really no way you could ruin stewed tomatoes or enhance macaroni and cheese. We then left the cottage after a while of rest. Val and I carried a large trunk full of weapons as we walked to the back of the compound where a firing range was located. The range was outside, about a half mile from a cliff face. Several targets that sat on stands were scattered through the field. A long white fence separated into another range ten yards to our right. Val explained that on each range a different weapon was practiced depending on the day.

He handed me a set of green plastic earplugs and a nine millimeter pistol. The shiny silver metal weighted heavy in my hands. The black grip fit my fingers perfectly. Val held out a clip of bullets, removing it from my grasp at the last second.

"Can I trust you?" he asked warily.

"I'm not going to shoot you, if that's what you mean." Though it sounded like a good idea.

Val smiled uncomfortably and dropped the clip into my hands. I inserted it into the gun and pulled back the hammer. After a few seconds of aiming at the target, a loud bang echoed through the compound as I pulled the trigger. Val used a remote to reel in the target. I had hit just inside the edge.

"I'm a bit rusty, I hate guns," I explained at his surprised look. I was surprised I had hit the thing at all.

"What about Bryant?" he asked.

"That was close range. Anybody who can shoot a gun can't miss at close range. If you do then you shouldn't be allowed to even handle a gun."

Val made the target go back to the field. I popped off a few more rounds, and then we checked the target. I did a bit better. At least I was inside the circles. By the fifth try, I either hit the bull's eye or close to it.

When Val was finally satisfied with the nine millimeter, he handed me an AR15. The larger rifle weighted heavier in my arms. I collapsed the stock to the lowest setting for my short arms. Good thing this one was collapsible, or it would have been a long reach.

The black metal shone dull in the sunlight. I rested the gun on the bipod, and lay down on the ground on my belly. Looking through the scope, I could easily see the furthest target. It took me a minute to take my shot. I could feel Val getting impatient behind me. After I took a few shots, taking a minute between, Val reeled in the target. I had hit the center all three times.

"You would make a good sniper," Val commented, taking the gun, "Next is the bow."

"I'm better at that than with any gun," I spoke.

"Is there anything you can't do?" he asked.

"Yes, I seem to have a very difficult time getting away from you, no matter how hard I try," I snapped.

"A task that proves impossible," Val smirked, handing me the bow.

The carbon fiber was painted black like everything else around here. I knocked a red feathered arrow and pulled. The string hummed as I let the arrow fly, hitting the target dead center. Val handed me another arrow and I repeated the process. The previous arrow split as the new one took it place. He couldn't say I didn't warn him.

Val shook his head, "I'll stump you with something."

The sun was falling quickly behind the western mountains. The targets were becoming a silhouette in the distance. Val looked ever more mysterious clad in his black outfit. His amber eyes reflected the light of the fading sun, making them seem to glow yellow.

"Come, it's already six-thirty, we will miss supper."

I helped Val with the trunk as we headed back to the compound. The roar of voices fell silent while everybody turned to look at us as we entered the mess tent. I was suddenly conscious of the tare in my shirt, caused by Val's blade.

"Do we have a needle and thread so I can sew this?" I asked Val, thumbing the sleeve.

"You sew too?" he asked exasperated.

I stayed silent during dinner, listening to the mindless babble of the others. Some shouted jeers about Val being bested by an outsider and worse yet, a girl; all which he ignored.

"How come you could barely hold your own with a stick?" Val asked.

"I was never taught. My sensei died before we got to that. Dad had a very specific way he wanted him to teach me. I was to master the other skills first, seeing as the staff is obsolete."

"That makes sense, I guess."

Actually it made no sense, but that was my father; always had to have it his way, or he would have the person killed. And people said that I was spoiled. At least I didn't go around killing people just because someone said no.

I woke up in the middle of the night due to a nightmare. I forgot what it was about the second I opened my eyes. Val wasn't in the cabin. I checked the windows and door, all were clear. I decided to take a chance and packed my rucksack with a few changes of clothes and bottles of water. I hurriedly dressed in the clothes I had already worn to save on laundry.

Slowly, I opened the door to the cottage, cringing at every squeak. I almost jumped out of my skin when I saw Val standing before me, his hand raised to the door knob. His amber eyes showed a dark fury in the dim moon light.

"Where. Are. You. Going?" he asked. Anger dripped from his voice. I could he was trying hard not to throw me across the room.

"To find you," I lied quickly.

"Then why do you have a pack?" he stalked closer, chasing me slowly into the bed area.

"In case I got lost," I tried. My voice was shaking with fear. He looked scary when he was angry. Normally this wouldn't have scared me, but he did say if I tried to escape again, he would kill me.

"This is the last straw, Sofia, now I'm going to make sure you won't want to try and run again."

He raised his hand up to slap me, but I caught his arm. Without warning, he slapped me with his other hand. My face tingled as I fell onto the bed. My grip on his arm caused him to topple on top of me. I struggled under his weight, but he was too strong and heavy for me to move. His face was close to mine, his warm breath brushing with slight effort on my neck. His black hair hung over his eyes and into my face. His muscles flexed as they struggled to keep me still. His smell of old spice engulfed my nose. I was suddenly every aware of how my breasts pressed against his chest as I took ragged breaths, of how my legs surrounded his body in my pathetic attempt to get free, of how his eyes looked back into mine with hunger.

Before I could stop myself our lips pressed against each other's in a savage attempt for dominance. His hands left my wrists to touch my body. Mine roughly removed his shirt. Val had a harder time removing my garments and ended up tearing the fabric off my torso.

My body moved against his as we joined. It was like ecstasy pumping through my veins, taking over my being. I have never done drugs before, but this was how I imagined it would be like. There was only one word to describe what I was feeling, one word to reason why I was letting Val touch me in this intimate way; the man who killed my family and took me hostage. The only word I would think of to explain my actions was 'lust.'

Had I 'lusted' Val? I knew it wasn't 'love', I wasn't sure if it was even 'like'. It had been so long since I had been touched by a man. It had been too long since I had felt lips against mine, or hands roaming my body. That had to be what it was; it just had been too long, and there Val was, lying on top of me, perfectly capable and I was positively sure, willing, to give me what I needed.

"That wasn't much of an escape attempt," Val commented as we lay next to each other, recuperating from our sinful deed. Val played with my hair, twirling it around his finger. I really hated pillow talk. I was the type to do what I needed to do and get out.

"It wasn't preplanned. I woke up and you were gone so I said 'what the hell.' Where did you go anyway?" I spoke.

"I couldn't sleep so I went to get your needle and thread," Val replied dryly.

"Well, I'm pretty sure you killed the shirt, unless you want me to look like a quilt," I laughed.

"Don't worry, we have more."

I awoke the next morning to find the bed empty. I heard the microwave going from behind the curtain and decided to investigate.

"What time is it?" I asked groggily.

"Nine-thirty," Val answered, "I figured I would give you a break."

"What are you doing?" I asked more awake.

"Making breakfast, well heating it up," he replied scanning my body. I was still naked from the previous night.

"This doesn't change anything," I growled.

"We both know you liked it, so don't try to act like you didn't," he snapped.

"I'm not denying anything, but one night of pleasure isn't going to make me fall head over heels for you."

"Really, how about two," he asked

"I don't have any feelings for you. Good ones, that is," I added sharply.

"Then what was last night?"

"A year of frustration and anger," I hissed.

"Did all that frustration and anger turn you into a slut?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean," this guy was pushing my limitations of patience.

"The fact that you can screw someone and not feel anything for them," he retorted.

"The only thing you can ever make me feel is hatred," I yelled. My body was rigid with anger. This guy was really pissing me off.

Val tackled me to the floor, knocking down the curtain that hung behind me. We tussled for a few minutes, rolling across the floor. When we hit the wall, causing us to stop, Val was laying on top of me. He kissed me deeply sliding his tongue in my mouth. I tried to struggle, but surrendered as we repeated our actions from the previous night.

"We need to stop doing this," I said as we dressed.

"Why, I like it when we wrestle. You're lucky I didn't ravage you the first night."

"I have no intention of marrying you," I changed the subject.

"That's too bad, we could have a lot of fun together," he ran a finger down my bare spine, sending chills through my body, "Besides, it's not like you have much of a choice, you could always marry Dante."

I growled at the name of the person who tried to force himself on me, "He should be thanking you, by the way."

"Why's that?" Val inquired.

"I already told you, the last guy who tried to rape me, I put in a coma."

"Oh, right, I forgot about that," Val said, "Well let's get going, it's already almost eleven."

"What's on the agenda today?" I asked.

"We already established that you're good at fighting and sword play. We need to work on your guns and sticks. Today we'll test your stealth."

"Sounds like fun," I replied dryly.

Val led me through the compound to a building made to represent a house. The outside walls were made of plywood that held windows for entry. Inside the rooms were scattered with obstacles meant to test one's ability to be quiet.

"I'll be in the last room, begin from outside and try to sneak up on me," Val said kissing my forehead before I could swat him away.

I walked back outside and closed the door. Emmi handed me a black backpack. It looked exactly like the bag Val wore when he had broke into my house. I heard a loud click as the door closed, probably an alarm activating. So that way was off limits. I scoped the house, trying to find an entry point. The windows were out; they were definitely rigged.

This shouldn't have been too hard, I used to sneak out all the time and my father had the place locked down worse than a prison. I looked up at the roof, spotting a chimney. This was how I used to escape from lockdown at home. It couldn't hurt to try.

I searched for a way to climb up the roof. A tree stood close to the sample house. Its green needle branches hung just above the shingles. The ascent was slightly painful. The needles kept sticking me. I finally dropped onto the roof with a barely audible thunk. Good thing I was only one hundred and five pounds.

Lightly, I walked up to the chimney and peered inside. It was dark. I was barely able to see the floor below. Pulling out my paintball gun, I attached a rappel line that was in the pack and attached it to the side of the chimney, and then carefully descended into the abyss below.

Val was sitting in a brown leather chair a few feet away facing toward me. His eyes were closed in concentration, listening for any noise. His amber eyes shot open in surprise as I popped off two rounds. The two balls exploded as they hit the padding that protected Val's chest, covering the black material with yellow paint. His mouth hung open slightly in awe.

"Nobody's ever thought of the roof before," he spoke, dazed.

"I used to sneak out a lot," I admitted, "The chimney was the one place that didn't have an alarm. Who would be smart enough to climb on a four story roof? It even had pegs for the chimney sweep."

Val sighed, "Well, let's see what you can do once you get inside. Start in the foyer."

This was going to be fun. I'm a huge klutz. I was sure that if I thought logically, I would get through it, though whether or not I did unscathed, was the question.

The foyer was a small and simple room. A small round table that held a ceramic vase of silk lilies sat in the center. The vase it's self was large. It was white with pink flowers. I crept forward, stepping over a trip wire. A loud crack outside startled me. I turned to look in surprise and knocked the table with my pack. The vase fell to the plywood, shattering into thousands of tiny pieces onto the plywood floor. Before I had the chance to hide, I heard footsteps quickly charging in my direction.

Val walked into the room, his paintball gun raised. I quickly aimed mine and shot him two more times in the chest. His amber eyes gazed at me in disappointment.

"I still killed you," I said gesturing to his chest where four paint splatters blended together in a big yellow blob.

"At what cost?" Val pointed to my shoulder where a red splatter stained my pad. I didn't even feel it hit.

4


	20. Chapter 20 Snow Day

Laheba Alam - Thank you for being the only one to review this chapter.

rootbeer'n'chocolate - Thank you on Chapter 1

rocktheroxie - I have the same issue with my boyfriend, then I finally got my lap top, then he broke the internet on the main computer, and I'm back where I started.

Chapter 20 – Snow Day

"Come, We will let the neophytes clean this up," Val insisted, taking off his padded vest, leaving me to follow suit. He wore a black tank top underneath that showed off his muscles exquisitely.

We walked out of the makeshift house toward the sparing field. At the edge of the field stood a shed made of logs, not built to last but served its purpose. I supposed they would build a better one once the camp became more permanent. It reminded me of the tinker toy that clipped together.

I peered through the doorway as Val entered. The walls were lined with light colored plywood, simply built, but again, served its purpose. There were all sorts of weapons carved out of wood, hanging on the walls. The weapons were so brilliantly designed; they had to be hand crafted.

Val walked back out with a pair of fighting sticks, "Eventually you will learn to make your own weapons, but we'll start with these for now."

He tossed me one of the sticks which I caught on instinct. I studied the stick while he led me to an isolated spot in the field. The stick was made from dark brown wood, polished to shine. Four inches from both ends, black leather was wrapped neatly around the stick, stopping in the center twelve inches apart. It made for the handler to better grip the weapon.

Our sticks flew quickly in the sunlight, becoming brown blurs as we fought. Val prevailed within minutes. He showed me more defense moves and we began again. Fighting with sticks was very different from swords. With sticks, you have no blade to rely on to cut your enemy. I found that the moves weren't much different so I incorporated some of the ones I already knew, but modified them for the staff.

We fought for a long time, neither one prevailing. Unfortunately, Val was stronger and had more stamina than I did. As I got tired, Val took advantage, and made a move too quick for me to block. The staff flew out of my grasp, landing a few feet away. He made another move, somehow tripping me. I fell on my back, Val pointing his stick at my throat for the "death strike."

"Another thing we need to work on is your endurance. You are way out of shape," Val spoke helping me to my feet.

"I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that I spent a year chained to the bed," I answered tartly.

It was beginning to get dark outside. One thing I had learned about the mountains was that it got dark extremely early. The far away trees were a silhouette in the fading light. The sun was hidden behind the mountains, only sending us a sliver of light. Even Val's face was beginning to become obscure in the darkness. I observed all of this while I caught my breath from my excursion.

"Come, we will eat supper then we can rest for the night," Val spoke, leading me back to the shed to return our sticks, then to the mess tent.

There weren't a lot of people inside when we arrived. We must have been late. The tent was three quarters empty, most of the occupants the older students and teachers.

"Valerian," one of the teachers exclaimed as we sat down. He was in his mid thirties with the traditional short dark hair and brown eyes against olive skin, "You have something about you, almost like a glow."

"Yes, Sofia has it too," another chimed. He looked like the other except his bone structure was different.

"You didn't do 'it,' did you?" Emmi asked.

I sat there stunned, setting my fork back on my tray. It wasn't any of their business _what_ we did, "You guys are worse than women, I should know, I am one."

"Sofia is right, it's none of your business what we may or may not have done," Val chimed.

"They did," all three accusers said at once.

Val rolled his eyes at the trio and continued eating.

The meal consisted of spaghetti and meatballs with glazed carrots. I know, simple, but the spaghetti sauce was home made with the perfect mix of herbs and spices. The chunks of tomatoes made a nice accent. I had never tasted anything like it. The carrots were freshly picked and cooked until they were just tender and glazed with brown sugar melted with butter.

When we arrived back at the cottage, I took a long shower, letting the hot stream of water pound on my body, soothing my tired muscles. I washed my hair with the romantic smell of roses. My body, I used a wash that smelled like the calm scent of lavender. I exited the bathroom adorning clean pajamas and feeling refreshed.

Val was standing in front of me as I exited the steamy room. His hair was hanging slightly in his face making him look dangerously sexy. His amber eyes watched me hungrily. A smirk was spread across his plump lips. The bare muscles on his torso rippled as he thrust me against the wall, pinning me against his body.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"What do you think I'm doing?" Val retorted, whispering sensuously in my ear, and then kissing my neck. I could have melted right there.

"I believe you are trying to seduce me," I answered, trying to push him away.

"Then you thought right."

"Why?" I asked.

"Both times we've been intimate it was the result of a fight. I want to do things properly. You won't regret it, I promise."

"I regret the last two times," I snapped.

He pulled my hair, forcing my head up, causing me to gasp. His lips brushed mine as he spoke, "That's not what you were saying while you were underneath me."

My breath was slightly heavier but not enough to hinder me from speaking, "That's because I was too busy-"

His lips caressed mine as his tongue slid into my mouth. While his mouth harassed mine, his hands violated my flesh. His tongue explored every corner of my mouth, in exquisite motions. My body melted into his against my will. After almost a minute, I finally gained control of my impetuous limbs and pushed him away.

"I can't," I panted.

"Why not," he cooed, pressing his body into mine.

I could feel his muscles tight against my body. If I didn't get a hold of myself now, in five seconds it would be too late.

I glared at him, "Because you killed my family, even if I were interested, it would dishonor their memory."

He grabbed my chin roughly, his fingers like a vice against my skin, "You need to face the facts, Sofia, you _are_ going to marry me, and we _will_ have kids."

"Do you really want a wife who resents you?"

"Better a wife who despises you than a wife who wants to rule you," Val growled and stormed out of the cottage.

Maybe I was too hard on him. Would I have kidnapped me if I were in his position? I would rather have to live with somebody who hates me than living with somebody who tries to control every aspect of my life. But isn't that what he was doing by keeping me here? That didn't matter at this point. I was stuck with him. Even if I did escape, he would have just hunted me down and dragged me back, and would probably chain me to the bed for the rest of my life.

Val had returned later that night. We ignored each other as we settled down then went to bed. Inevitably, I woke up in his arms, my body perfectly molded to his. I never did ask him where he went, nor did he ever mention the fight.

The short autumn grew colder. The whole camp took a day from their studies to winterize the compound. A tent was constructed around the sparring field to keep the snow off the packed ground. Wooden stalls were erected in the firing range to protect us from the weather. The targets were fitted on tiny remote controlled snowmobiles, kept in the weapons shed until they were used.

The months passed by in a simple routine; Val would wake me up before the sun rose. I would waste the next ten minutes fighting with him, giving me only five minutes to brush my teeth, get my uniform on, and pull back my hair. Then we would go on a four mile run through the woods. At first I couldn't keep up with his fast pace, but as the months passed, I began to out run him, only by a few paces. I think he let me win.

After our run, we would eat breakfast and get harassed by the younger teachers that were supposedly Val's friends. What kind of friend picks on your sex life? Oh wait, they were males.

After breakfast, we practiced stealth exercises until lunch. This normally ended in something getting smashed. Usually it was the vase in the front room. Once I got frustrated and threw a rock at the window, then shot him through the broken glass. Val wasn't very happy about this and made me clean up the glass and replace the window. Good thing they had spares in storage.

During the afternoons, we would either spar or practice shooting the various weapons. Sometimes we would fit both into our schedule. Our sparring would usually end in a fist fight due to frustration on my part. Of course that would end in me getting pinned to the ground due to Val's advantage of height and strength.

After a late supper, we would relax for an hour or so, and then go to bed where Val would trap me in his arms. Luckily he hadn't tried anything beyond kissing my forehead or cheek. I would toss and turn most of the night, until I finally got tired enough to pass out in the wee hours of the morning. When the alarm call woke us up at four in the morning, we would start the routine all over again.

One morning in November I awoke on my own. The light through the windows was dim. The clock on the night stand read nine-thirty. Val wasn't in the bedroom and I was cold. That was what actually woke me up. My cold receptors protested as I got up and donned my usual clothes that consisted of a fitted black cotton outfit and then headed for the front door to find Val.

"I wouldn't do that," Val's voice spoke from behind me, just as I touched the handle.

"I'm not running away, I was going to look for you," I defended.

"I knew that," he sighed.

"Then what is it?"

"Look out the window."

Pulling back the curtain, I gasped at what I saw. A white blanket of snow covered the ground, reaching the windowsill. More was falling to the ground in a steady, but gentle flow. I faintly remembered hearing the wind whip at the windows last night, but I didn't realize it was snowing.  
Could it really snow that much in one night?

"Looks like we have ourselves a snow day," Val commented.

"You mean snowed in," I said, "Now what?"

"Nothing, we wait until the weather clears and we get shoveled out," he answered simply.

"What about food? Water," I demanded.

"Don't worry, the cupboards are freshly stocked and if the pipes freeze, all we have to do is open the window."

"I'm going back to bed," I yawned.

"I noticed you haven't been sleeping lately. You keep stirring and crying. What disturbs you in your dreams?"

I shrugged and walked into the bedroom. It was none of his business what haunted my dreams. Besides, he wouldn't have understood anyway. Val followed, laying down on the bed beside me and pulled me into his arms.

"Please, Sofia, it does no good to keep things bottled inside."

I sighed, "I've been dreaming about my family."

"Keep going."

"I don't know, it's weird, like old memories, but they're different. They keep trying to say something."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. It's usually inaudible."

That was a lie. Though every dream was different, the message was the same, "Be happy." I didn't understand what the dreams meant. Was my subconscious trying to tell me to forget about my family and move on with my life? How could I with the person that ruined it?

"I'm so sorry, Sofia, you're in so much pain and it was me who caused it," Val spoke holding me tighter, "No wonder you hate me."

"Now he gets it," I snapped, pushing him away.

"See, Sofia, this is why we use code names. Why it's forbidden to bring a potential victim here, why we can't get attached. I am only human, though I'm an assassin, I have feelings, and compassion, and regret. You have to understand, I did what I've been trained to do from birth. That is how we survive."

"Why can't you find another means?"

"That would be like asking a lion not to hunt a zebra."

I glared at him.

He sighed, "Sofia, we don't take missions unless we believe the person deserves it. We try not to kill innocents."

"I was innocent," I growled.

"And you're still alive," he kissed my forehead.

I may have been physically alive, but according to the police, and everybody else, I was dead. How can somebody be presumed dead if no body was found? That's like assuming something. We all know what happened when you assume something. You get your jaw broken. At least that's how it was in my father's world. I don't know how many times I got my ass kicked for assuming Austie did something when either I misplaced it, or the dog ate it.

_I was sitting on a homemade swing in the backyard at my father's old mansion, our first house. The polished wood seat was worn from years of being subjected to the elements. The long rope straps hung under a huge elm, attached to a thick branch. The air was warm and crisp with the smell of flowers from the gardens that were spread through the estate. My six-year-old self sat wearing a pink sun dress and white sandals adorned my tiny feet. My hair was in cute ringlets, the front pulled back out of my face._

_Austin walked up to me from the large white house that we lived in. He looked the same as when he died. His light brown hair hung in his face as he looked down at me. His greenish-brown eyes looked down on me with concern._

"_Sofia," he spoke stopping my swinging. His voice was heavy._

_As I looked up at him, I saw the faraway look in his eyes that soldiers get during war from seeing things that their minds just couldn't handle. That look was caused by a bloody scene that he didn't walk away from. But I did. That look was a reflection of my mind. It was me that had that faraway look that saw something my mind couldn't handle. My mind was projecting it through Austie._

"_I'm dreaming again aren't I?" My six-year-old body that contained my twenty-two year-old mind asked._

"_Yes," he answered solemnly._

"_Why?" my child like voice asked. It still held my child like innocents. An innocents that was lost as I grew up and realized the harshness of the world._

"_What better way to collect your thoughts than to discuss them with yourself?" he smirked._

_Oh how I missed his cocky grin, even if it was directed at me, which it usually was._

"_So what is it we need to discuss?" I asked._

"_There is no way for you to escape," he answered._

"_Yes there is. I'll find a way."_

"_You heard what Val said, if you try again they will kill you."_

"_Scare tactic," I replied blandly._

"_I don't believe it is," Austin replied in a brotherly tone. I would never hear that voice again except in my dreams._

"_Then why bother teaching me all these things that will help me escape?"_

_Austin smiled again, "They're hoping you won't want to."_

"_So Val is purposely trying to seduce me?"_

"_Yes, but I believe he is very attracted to you. Remember, he watched us for a while before he broke in."_

"_Then what was that bit about not knowing about me?"_

"_To see what you would do."_

"_So what's the point?" I snapped._

"_This is it; be happy. This is your life; you have to make the most of it."_

"_How, Val killed you. I want him dead."_

"_Sofia, you kill him, they will kill you. You escape and Val finds you… I hate to think of it."_

"_I stay here, I kill myself."_

"_That's why you need to be happy," Austin kissed my forehead then disappeared._

_I really needed to stop confusing myself, this was getting tiring._

5


	21. Chapter 21 Plane Rides and Bribes

Laheba Alam - thank you  
xmoonlitx - you know how males are

rocktheroxie - yeah me to, and so is he.....now lol

rootbeer'n'chocolate - pressure's fine, it means you like the story. lol

Chapter 21 – Plane Rides and Bribes

Days passed since I had the dream. It only confused me more. Was my subconscious telling me through Austin to give up? To accept my life the way it is? To play happy house wife with the man who killed my family? Maybe I was doomed after all. There was no way I could listen to myself. I was losing my mind.

The snow was piled high outside the cottage. The apprentice murderers were just beginning to shovel everything out now that it had finally stopped snowing. It would be a while longer before they could get to our section. Val explained that they moved all the snow around the bases of the tents to hold them down better in the hard mountain winds. With the extra, they piled outside camp, using wheelbarrows to transport the heavy snow.

By day four of our imprisonment, I started to get cabin fever. I paced back and forth through the cottage, mumbling under my breath about I can't remember what. I did this strait through day five. By day six the carpet was worn from my path. I was losing sleep as well. My eyes were sunken in, dark circles stained the surrounding skin. My hands shook uncontrollably, no matter how hard I tried to get them to stop. I felt like a heroin addict that ran out of their supply.

"Sofia, are you alright?" Val finally asked, exasperated from my constant fidgeting.

"I need to get the hell out of here," I spoke frantically.

Val smiled at me revealing pearly white teeth. I wondered what he used to bleach them. He swiftly walked over to the coat closet, pulling out our snow pants that we bought on our journey into the mountains.

"You had these the whole time and didn't tell me?" I scolded, donning the suit.

The window squeaked in protest as Val forced it open. A breeze blew some of the fluffy white snow over the sill. It melted as soon as it touched the warm carpet. Pushing past Val, I jumped out of the window and landed with a soft crunch as the snow shifted underneath me. I sunk down to my chest with a yelp.

Val laughed. I had to look like a black pouf ball stuck in the snow. He exited the window only sinking to his waist. Still laughing, he helped me upright. I stood where Val had initially landed, trying to stick to already packed snow to save myself from sinking again. This didn't last very long. I was too excited to be outside to trek carefully. I made my own path through the deep snow to the woods where it would be shallower.

"This is good exercise," I commented.

"Yes, it is," Val replied, having an easier time moving through the snow. What an ass.

We were both panting when we finally reached the wood fifty yards from the cottage. Strolling around a bit, the snow only reached the middle of my calf. The rest of it sat on the canopy, weighing down the trees.

Val was standing under a brushy evergreen that was bent with snow. I crept behind him, pretending I was only going for a look and hoping he would fall for it. I shook the heavy branches, causing the snow to fall on his head.

In my fit of laughter, I didn't notice him break free of his snowy prison. I let out a yelp as I hit the ground, cushioned by the soft snow. Before he could assault me with the white fluff, I scooped a small handful of snow and shoved it in his face. Flipping him off of me, I ran as fast as I could back toward the cottage, following the path he had made for easier movement. Unfortunately, his height prevailed, and I was tackled face first before I even reached the edge of the wood. By the time we reached the cottage, we were both tired and physically exhausted.

"I actually had fun," I admitted.

"See, I'm not a complete monster," he said.

"Well, I always knew there was a piece missing somewhere," I laughed.

Val pretended to scowl at me and hung our suits in the bathroom to dry.

For the rest of the days it took the school to shovel out the compound, Val and I exercised and sparred in the snow as our morning routine. During the afternoons, we helped with the shoveling. By now the camp was only half finished. But I believed we caused more harm than good because we kept throwing snow at each other. One day we started a snowball fight. We were then banned from helping by the much older members of the camp and forced to spend the last week in the cottage or sparring in the woods. I guess Val's jurisdiction didn't mean anything in a camp full of people he was going to rule.

By the end of week two of the snow days, the compound was shoveled out and the students returned to their studies. Val kept our same routine that began with a run, but seeing as there was three feet of snow hindering us, we burrowed through it as fast as we could.

As the months passed, I noticed my muscles getting trimmer. My body was getting more toned. I was a small person as it was, but now I had muscle to go with it. I did better on my stealth missions. I took to toying with Val. I would throw a pebble in a room to make him think I made a noise, but in reality I was right behind him. I completely avoided the front room. That vase and I just didn't agree. Life seemed slightly easier as I got used to it at the camp. I had many opportunities to rail on Val, and it was considered my training. I could hold my own, but I still wasn't strong enough to best him. Sure, I knew how to use our size differences against him, but he's the one who taught me, he obviously knew how to counter it. Val's cousin, Emmi, on the other hand, wasn't as good a fighter as Val. Though he was the same size, I could get the upper hand. I was too small and too fast for him to defend against.

At the end of July, I was finally settling into this new life at the compound when Val dubbed my training complete. We packed our bags and headed back to the village. The last night of our stay, Emmi broke out a bottle of rum that he had hidden for such occasions. I didn't trust myself to drink. I didn't want to do anything that I would regret. Val, on the other hand, didn't mind getting plastered. I ended up having to half carry him back to our cottage. I should have just left him there over night.

The journey back was quick. The horses were eager to run after months of being cooped up. Val was eager to return home after months of living at the compound. I was not eager to do anything. As far as I was concerned my life was forfeit. There was no reason to care where I was. I just quietly followed behind Val. He didn't even notice my silence in his excitement.

"We'll be going on a mission at the end of September. We will have to spend the winter outside the village. The mountains will be impassable by the time we return," Val spoke, attempting to make small talk.

"Where are we going?" I asked lethargically.

Val grinned, either ignoring, or not seeing my lack of enthusiasm, "How is your Spanish?"

"Más o menos," I replied, "That's about the extent I know. I'm only fluent in Italian."

Val took a deep breath, "We have to work on your language. Usually we are taught when we are very young when our minds better absorb."

"You didn't answer my question," I broke his thoughts.

"We're going to vacation in the Caribbean," Val smiled.

"Our mission," I grumbled.

"A New York city mob boss," he answered quickly.

I gasped. That was where my father's gang was routed. Though we didn't live in the city, we lived close to it. I wondered if it was a friend boss, or if it was a rival. Of course, I didn't really know which one was friend and which one was foe. The only ones I knew were the big bosses that put hits on me. Some of the rivals didn't bother us, if we didn't bother them and that was the way we all liked it.

"Sofia, this isn't just any mission. This is personal. He killed a few of our young assassins."

"An eye for an eye," I grumbled.

I hate when you are dreading something so much and time passes faster than normal. The hours are like minuets. The days fly by before your eyes. But when you are looking forward to something the minuets feel like hours. The days feel like weeks. Your bones eventually feel brittle from age. Then maybe, just maybe, the time for the event you were looking forward to will arrive.

On the morning of September twentieth, Val and I left the small village to travel through the mountains. It did snow, but it was just a drizzle compared to the mountains usual hurricanes, figuratively speaking, of course. On this trip, I willingly cuddled up to Val in our shared sleeping bag. I suppose you would say the necessity to keep warm beat out the pride that pushed him away.

Though we only stayed one night, I was grateful when we reached the farm with the nice old people who knew better than to ask questions from the strangers who pass through and stay in the cottage next to their house. These people came from the mountains, living in a village that isn't supposed to exist. The cottage was nice and cozy. The farmer had built us a fire in the grate while we helped his sweet wife clean up dinner. It's the least we could to after Val's rudeness the last time we stopped. He even let me talk to the woman. Of course, I wasn't allowed to say anything to compromise our mission or give away who we were and where we were from, which limited our conversation profusely.

In one week, the mountains would be swollen with heavy snowfall becoming too dangerous to traverse. I guessed I would be spending the winter contracting malaria and salmonella poisoning, and probably a bad case of a sun burn, all in the name of luxury.

We left the horses with the farmers, and drove off in a candy-apple-red mustang GT, Val rented while I slept in. I was still having trouble sleeping at night.

When I first saw the car, I was so excited to be reunited with technology that I took my time exploring the vehicle. The red paint sparkled in the sunlight the way a lake's surface reflects the sun's rays. I ran my hand up the driver's side fender. The body felt warm against my skin from the sun. The gamey smell of leather flooded my nose as I opened the door. The black interior felt warm against my skin as I sat behind the in the driver's seat. My hands slid along the surface of the wheel, the black leather feeling smooth to my fingertips. I inhaled deeply, the scent of new car mixed with leather. At this point, it smelled better than fresh flowers on a warm spring after noon as the sun shone to pull the weather into summer.

Of course, Val had to ruin my fun, "I'm driving," he pulled me out of the car. I should have buckled my seat belt. I grumbled stomping to the passenger's seat. I sat with my arms folded across my chest and glared out of the window.

We traveled through Europe, barely speaking. In fact, I slept most of the way. I still didn't understand why we had to drive for two days into Russia instead of flying from Switzerland. Val's answer was that they had to use different airports. They also used fake names with fake passports. Val made a few calls before we left the village and got me a driver's license, passport, and everything else I needed. It all was ready by the time we left the farmer's house. I still didn't know where exactly it was located.

We stayed overnight in a hotel somewhere in Russia. The lobby was a vast room, with a dome ceiling painted in gold that ended in a fancy vase-shaped just above the service desk. As the ceiling met the wall, it was lined in thick, flat, brown trim. A Huge rod iron chandelier hung from the center of the dome reaching down to the lowest part of the ceiling twenty feet above my head. The walls were fancy painted to look like an old fashioned dressing screen but on a massive scale. What would have been the wood frame; leather shaded brown stone splattered with dark brown speckles stood in its place. The screens were gigantic peach curtains with black print that reminded me of a marble. The floor was pink tile with a brown tiled runway leading up to the service desk from the three other points of the room. The path was lined with red and green tiles. It met in the center of the room with a circle. It reminded me of a giant compass.

The next day we boarded a plane for New York. The flight was exasperatingly long. I wish I had been unconscious just like I had been on our first flight. Although we rode on a huge ocean liner in the roomy first class, I still fidgeted in my seat until Val finally got sick of my moving and made me take Tylenol pm. I ended up sleeping for most of the twelve hour flight.

I toyed with the wedding band on my left hand while I sat in a plush leather chair in the lobby of a fancy hotel located on the outskirts of New York City. The floor was made of gray marble, polished to perfection. The creamy white walls were adorned with a few paintings of serene landscapes. The service counter was made of light colored wood. The top was the same marble as the floor and decorated with strange looking pink flowers that sat in green marble vases on either side of the counter. The flowers were very tall, reaching halfway to the ten-foot ceiling. The petals were light pink on the outside and a darker shade toward the middle.

The ceiling of the lobby was painted a very light gray. Two huge chandlers hung at each end of the lobby. The crystal hung down in layered beads. The lights, hidden in the center, bounced off the glass and illuminated the room.

Val was smiling as he left the service desk. The woman behind the counter scowled at me, her chocolate eyes tearing holes through my body. Apparently someone was jealous.

"I take it you broke that poor woman's heart?" I asked.

"What ever do you mean?" Val asked sardonically.

"From the way she's glaring at me, I would have thought I stole you from her."

"Ah, my darling, buy you stole me from myself," Val cooed, his Italian accent adding romance to his words.

"Chump," I grumbled. I bet you thought I would fall for it.

We boarded the elevator of doom. I still grumbled about Val's pathetic attempts to be romantic. The doors of my tiny temporary prison were made of brass that reflected like a yellow mirror. Inside, the walls were darkly stained wood with brass hand rails. The floor was covered in large green tiles with gold colored flakes scattered in the material.

Our room was decent sized, bigger than an average hotel room. The walls were gold in color with red trim. The carpet was brown with gold and red crescents. The curtains were red with gold lace. The queen sized bed held a plain white comforter. The frame was made of a dark cherry wood. A long bureau stood on the wall at the end of the bed, still leaving four feet between the two. In the center sat a television set with a mirror on either side. To the right of the door sat a small round table made of the same dark cherry wood. It had four chairs of the same wood with red upholstery that had gold ribbons woven through it.

"Now what," I asked throwing myself on the bed. It was only early afternoon.

"We go buy a car," Val answered.

"Buy?" I questioned. Why would we buy a car? It's not like we could bring it back with us.

"Of course, I figured we could drive to Mexico when we leave here. It will kill some time and you can see the country," Val answered.

I glared at him. A few days in a car with him; I would rather lose a limb. This was completely ridiculous. There was no way I could last that long cooped up in a car with my friends let alone with him! I was about to voice my protest when Val spoke.

"I'll even let you pick out the car."

A huge smile spread across my face before I could stop it. He just made a huge mistake in my favor, and I was definitely going to take advantage. I wondered if he realized what he got himself into.

3


	22. Chapter 22 Fairytales and Hokum

Laheba Alam - He knows, he just doesn't realize it.

rocktheroxie - Thanks

Chapter 22 – Fairytales and Hokum

A blue colored cab drove us through the big city. Its gray interior was dingy with a few tears in the seats and stains that made me want to cover the fabric with saran wrap. It smelled like fried food and pungent body odor, though, it seemed the driver was to blame for that one.

He was a greasy fat man in his late thirties or early forties with thinning dark hair. His plain white t-shirt was wet with sweat and tinted a yellowish-brown, I presumed from lack of washing. Even what little hair he had was a greasy mess, plastered to his scalp.

The city I knew best swept past us. The tall buildings seemed to surround the little sedan, closing off my escape. Gaggles of people swarmed the sidewalks while they walked to their destination. It was hard to believe that with all those people, walking was a lot quicker than driving. Then again, there were prevalent amounts of cars piling the streets bumper to bumper. It may have been a beautiful city at one point, but with all the pollution from cars and dirt from the massive amounts of people, the old historical buildings were lined with a thick layer of grit that no simple washing could remove.

On the city's outskirts we pulled into a huge car dealership. Rows and rows of Chevys stretched for what seemed like miles. Cars, trucks, SUVs, even non Chevy vehicles had their own corner. In the center of the metallic mayhem, a large building with glass walls stood. Above the door was a blue sign that read "Used Cars" in big white letters. I was sort of weary to shop here. I think the owner might have been a benign rival of my father's.

After only five minutes of searching through the cars, a golf cart pulled up beside us. A man stepped out dressed in a black polo shirt with a big white Chevy insignia on the back and a gold name tag with the name Peter typed in black letters.

Peter was an older man, probably in his late forties. His height was average and lean, but with a small beer gut, protruding under his shirt. His short dark hair revealed baggy brown eyes. A thick graying mustache covered his upper lip.

"Hi, I'm Pete. Do you folks need help?" he asked, holding out a calloused hand for Val to shake.

"We're looking for a car," Val replied after introductions.

"We are? I thought we were shopping for curtains," I retorted.

Pete smiled slightly at my remark, "You've come to the right place," he spoke to Val.

"It's my wife's choice, a small wedding gift."

A look of horror crossed the man's face, "Are you sure you want to do that, sir?"

Val laughed, "I'm sure."

"If you have any questions, I'll be roaming around. Or you can find me inside," Pete pointed to the glass building where the employees hid from the unusually hot September heat. He then retreated to his golf cart and drove off.

"I think you scared him away," Val commented.

"Good, now I can be picky in peace," I replied.

An hour passed as we browsed the lot. Sweat began to accumulate on my back from the sun beating down on the pavement, reflecting onto my now olive skin. We had only covered half the lot. Val looked hotter than I was. That's what he gets for wearing black. I don't even think there was any actual color in his wardrobe. That was something we were going to have to work on.

"Let's take a break I'm parched," Val suggested, wiping sweat off his brow with his hand.

"What a brilliant idea," I chirped.

Val and I let out a long sigh in unison as the cool air from the building hit our hot skin. We turned and looked at each other in accusation, then burst out laughing.

That was when I saw it. On a platform behind Val sat my dream car. I saw nothing in the building except a lime-green Corvette convertible. I had always wanted a Corvette, but Father deemed it too dangerous of a car. Instead, he bought me a bullet-proof Lamborghini that he never even let me drive. Well, that he knew of.

In a daze I walked over to the car, tracing its sleek green curves with my fingertips. I opened the door and sat in the driver's seat. The seats were covered in plastic to protect the white leather. The gear select looked like a stick shift, the handle clad in the same white leather. The arm was made of chrome metal with a white leather skirt protecting the base. I ran my hands over the white steering wheel, envisioning myself driving down the freeway, the wind blowing my hair around.

Nothing could stop me now.

Val knocked on the window, startling me out of my fantasies.

Except that.

"I'll take it," I declared, exiting the car.

"You don't want to test drive it?" Peter asked, standing beside Val.

"I don't think there is a need," Val answered, still looking at me. He looked at Peter, "Providing everything is sound."

"Okay, if you just follow me, we can make your payment plan."

"That won't be necessary. We'll be paying cash, in full."

Peter stalled for a few seconds, afraid to take our obviously 'dirty' money, but afraid to turn us away. At least we weren't in the mob. Then again, as far as he knew we were. I wondered if he knew that his boss was a mob boss.

"I'll throw in an extra hundred to insure the car is in top shape, and I don't want to have to come back here," Val threatened. His Italian accent, though had the opposite effect on me, terrified the poor man even more. I guess it made him sound more sinister. I really didn't see how. I had to keep myself from laughing.

Peter gulped, his throat working to keep down his lunch, "Y-yes s-sir, we will d-do our best," he stuttered.

"Good, I will put half down now, and I will return in an hour to collect the car," Val spoke with authority

Peter's hands trembled as he gathered the paper work. It took him several tries to properly sign the title. Finally, he handed the papers to Val.

"Sofia, it's your car," Val handed me the pen.

I signed my first name in nice neat cursive. The loops were perfectly proportioned. I wondered how I always managed to accomplish that, years of practice perhaps. I didn't know what to put for my last name. Should I even put Bianchi anymore? I _was_ considered dead.

"Giovanni," Val whispered in my ear, making it look like he kissed my temple. I supposed my hesitation was obvious.

"Now that that's over, where is the nearest Department of Motor Vehicles," Val asked poor Peter sweetly.

"You say I'm scary. You didn't have to threaten him," I scolded as we rode in another cab.

It was cleaner than the last one. And the cabbie didn't stink. He was a younger guy, probably fresh out of high school. He had short dusty blonde hair and hazel eyes that reflected in the review mirror. He had perfectly smooth skin as well. He dressed in a black t-shirt that had a band name I couldn't read backward in the mirror. He was actually kind of cute. His only down fall: being a cabbie.

"It insures the car is legit. We don't want to be driving down the highway and have a tire fall off," Val defended.

"How often does that happen?" I retorted.

"More often than you think," He answered.

"You scared him half to death!"

"He's a salesman, he's used to it."

"He probably thinks you're from some sort of secret operation."

"Technically I am," Val whispered.

"Oh, right," I replied dumbly.

The cab dropped us off at the DMV which was closing in an hour. Inside, the line was extremely long as usual. The building was very big to accommodate all the New York City drivers. The floor was tiled with white tile that was covered in black drip rugs. The walls were once plain white, but with years of wear, turned to a tint of yellow. Some would call it antique white. Decorating the walls were signs posted for our convenience. Well, someone's convenience, we were stuck in line for the stupid paperwork that was needed to put the car on the road. Val had called his insurance company from the car lot and had them fax over their paperwork.

An hour and a half later, we arrived to pick up the car. The lot was nearly void of people; even most of the workers had left. I supposed it was getting close to closing time.

Pete greeted us timidly, he was one of the last people to leave, "The car should be ready soon they're just finishing the wax."

Val gave Pete the rest of the money and we finished the rest of the paperwork. I wished I didn't have to sign everything. I could have let Val take care of the boring part, while I zoned out instead of having to pay attention. Of course, I didn't hear a word Pete was saying, I just signed away. I hope Val was listening. In fact, I found out he was, when he grabbed my hand to stop me from signing a paper.

"I shouldn't need a warranty. I expect the car is in top shape, I really don't want to have to return." Val warned.

"Things do happen, sir," Pete defended timidly, "Something could be fine now, but somehow break in a few weeks, possibly a pot hole or something. You know how New York roads get."

"No actually, I'm not from here, but I suppose you're right. Go ahead, dear," Val kissed my cheek.

Fifteen minutes later, Pete dropped the keys in my hand and led us outside where a valet was just pulling up. The car sparkled, bright green in the sunlight. The tires were brand new and polished to make the black rubber shine.

"We used a weather proof top coat. It helps keep away the rust," Pete added hopefully. Did they even make such a thing?

Val grunted in reply and handed him the license plates, "I have no screw driver. I hope you don't mind."

"You have every weapon imaginable, but no screw driver?" I mocked while Pete busied himself with the plates.

"I don't know what gave you that idea; you know I never leave without my Swiss Army Knife," he whispered in my ear, sending chills down my spine.

The engine purred like a tiger as we sped down the road with the top down. The wind whipped my long dark hair around as it caressed the interior of my brand new corvette. I giggled like a school girl, excited to be behind the wheel of my dream car.

We drove back to the hotel, miraculously avoiding traffic jams. The city I grew up in turned back into the busy metropolis I always loved. The buildings towered overhead, almost reaching the sky. Normally I would watch as they passed, wondering how man could ever have created something so vast, but I was the one driving. I needed to keep a close eye on the road, New York City is known for their crazy drivers.

"So when do we perform the execution?" I asked later that night.

We were watching something on the military channel. I really wasn't paying any attention to it.

"As soon as I sharpen the axe," Val replied dryly, "Sofia, do not make me out to be a monster."

"But aren't you?"

Val inhaled deeply, trying to control his temper. He was doing such a good job, "Two days."

"Then what," I asked.

"We go to the Caribbean. We will return home in May. It will be cold, but the mountains will be passable."

"So we return to my doom," I grumbled.

"If that's the way you want to see it. I hope to get married this summer."

"So you do intend to marry Vitoria?" Why did you waste all that effort to kidnap me?" I tsked.

"I would die before I married that shrew," Val snapped.

"Then you are gay? I knew it! There _is_ something going on between you and Emmi!"

"Sofia!" Val nearly shouted, "You are _not_ getting out of our marriage! Now stop this charade."

I glared at him not answering.

Val sighed and caressed my face, "I know it's difficult-"

I slapped his hand away, "You don't know shit," I stomped out of our suite, slamming the door behind me.

I headed for the hotel gym to take my anger out on a punching bag. The health center was a large room down the hall from the pool. It had multiples of the different exercise machines. Those ranged from simple bicycles to weird machines I couldn't even figure out how to sit on let alone use.

The whole room was decorated in plain blue-gray, right down to the thin mat that covered the floor. I made my way to a red punching bag that stood in the corner and went to work like an interrogator working over a potential snitch.

"Sofia," Val caught my arm mid punch. I was only there for a few minutes.

"Don't," I growled, tearing my hand out of his grasp. My knuckles were bloody from the lack of gloves.

"Come upstairs, we will bandage your hands and talk."

I glared at him, but let him wrap a clean gym towel around the cuts and lead me to our suite. Val watched me concerned while I grumbled under my breath on the elevator ride.

"It's not good to talk to yourself," Val commented.

"As long as I don't interrupt, it's fine," I countered.

"Suit yourself."

Neither of us spoke as he bandaged my shallow wounds. I didn't even try to fight him. I knew I wouldn't be able to do it myself, and there was no use even if I could.

"Sofia," Val began, sitting me on the bed, "I know you don't want to marry me, but the council will kill you if you don't. Just think of the perks. You will be the chief's wife, the 'First Lady.' Well, once my father steps down."

"Then what; we live happily ever after with ten kids? Sorry, buddy, this isn't some romantic fairytale," I snapped.

"Either you marry me, or you can join your family in hell," Val growled dangerously.

"If that's the case, then I'll see you there, and I guarantee, you won't like it when you do."

Val's nostrils flared in anger. He raised his hand and slapped me across my face. My cheek stung from the impact. As I recovered, I slapped him back. He slapped me again and I lunged at him, knocking him into the table behind him.

Glass shattered as the dishes from our dinner crashed to the floor. He lifted me off of him and pushed me against the wall, holding a knife against my throat.

"You should know better by now than to go unarmed," he cooed dangerously.

"Who said I wasn't?" I asked, pushing the small blade into his belly enough for him to feel it.

Val smirked, "I believe I made a mistake."

"Why's that?" I growled.

"I taught you too well." He somehow removed the knife from my hands and flipped me onto the floor, "Of course, I haven't taught you everything. What will it be, Sofia?" He pressed the knife against the flesh on my neck.

"Rot in hell," I spat.

"You're very brave," he dragged the blade across my olive skin.

I hissed as the metal tore my flesh, forming droplets of crimson blood on my neck. It didn't puncture deep enough to cause much damage.

I punched Val in the face with all my strength, knocking him off of me. I jumped up, ignoring the pain in my already damaged hand and lunged at him.

He caught me mid flight and slammed my small body on the bed, pinning my tiny wrists above my head with one on his massive hands. With the other, he ripped my thin black t-shirt off, exposing my breasts. I knew I should have worn a bra.

Val's lips crashed against mine as he kissed me hungrily. I struggled, bucking my hips and kicking my legs, but his body weight held me in place. He removed my green sweat pants without shifting his weight. An audible gasp escaped my throat as Val forced himself inside of me. My lips kissed him back against my will. My body moved with his like a ship rocking with the ocean's waves before I could control it. My body may have already been his, but that was only hormones talking. I would hate him as long as I lived. We would never live happily ever after. This was not some stupid fairytale.

5


	23. Chapter 23 A Small Mishap

NightWorldFreak - Thank you  
Laheba Alam - As usual, thank you  
rocktheroxie - yeah, it's my dream car

Chapter 23 – A Small Mishap

Two days passed. Neither Val nor I mentioned the incident. We spent our time lazing around the hotel, either swimming in the pool, or training in the gym. My knuckles were nearly healed, it was mostly surface wounds.

On the morning of day three, Val woke me up extra early, telling me it was time to assassinate the person whose code name was Chester. I slowly got ready. I really wasn't in any hurry to murder anyone whether they deserved it or not. Apparently Val was, he was yelling at me the whole time to "Hurry my cute ass up," as he put it. I couldn't tell whether or not my ass was cute, it was behind me.

We arrived in a tall apartment building in the heart of Manhattan. The building was covered with expensive green reflective glass and gray bricks. They were probably white at one point, but all the pollution from exhaust, smoke from factories, or whatever, stained the brick to a dark, smoky gray.

This building looked strangely familiar.

I followed behind Val through the brass framed entrance after he convinced the bellhop that I was the niece of somebody living in room fifteen-ninety-seven, visiting from Italy. The old bellhop was even nice enough to direct us to the elevator and seeing it was a surprise, he gave us a key to reach the top floors. Whoever we were supposed to kill sure had money. My question was; who in New York City knew about the Apalates?

We took the elevator to the top floor penthouse. It was a huge two story apartment. The entrance opened to a vast living room that occupied most of the first floor. The walls were white and decorated with shelves of knickknacks. The ceiling, too, was white with little lights imbedded all over. The furniture was white leather. Whoever live here, definitely didn't have animals, everything looked extremely expensive and clean.

Val's boots made a deep clicking noise as he walked across the polished hard wood flooring. The far wall was made of windows, with a white curtain pulled to the sides revealing a magnificent view of the lunch hour bustle below.

Oh how I missed it here, and I would never get to see it again.

A man stood on the right side of the room, facing the vast window. He wore an expensive pinstriped suit. I always thought they looked nice on men, but he was a bit on the hefty side. His salt and pepper hair was cut short, but still showing a bald spot on the back of his head.

"I wondered when they would send their best," the man spoke, not turning. His voice sounded familiar. "It's a shame it had to be you, Valerian."

The man finally turned around, the man who I recognized, the man who had been welcome into our home as a member of the family since before I was born. The man whose name would forever burn in my memory, the man was Martin Bishop.

"What-" my eyes opened wide in shock. I didn't understand. How could Bishop be Chester?

As I asked myself this, my mind churned the facts. Bishop: a game piece in chess. Chess…chess… add a ter, you get Chester. It now made sense. But the question was why?

"The girl made you soft. You normally would have killed me by now."

"Sofia needs to hear the truth, from you," Val replied, "Or you would have been dead two days ago."

"Ah," Bishop smiled pompously.

"What the hell is going on?" I demanded, raising my gun at Bishop.

"Mr. Bishop, here, has been indirectly hiring us to kill rival bosses. But he's been having us killed instead of paying," Val replied.

"My family," I asked dazed.

"Phil was one step from taking over with his little brat son following right behind him. I was forced to eliminate a threat before it became one. Like putting out a spark before it becomes an inferno," Bishop answered.

"My father would never have betrayed you, he looked up to you!" I yelled, cocking the pistol in my hand.

"You screwed up, Valerian, you were supposed to kill her too, although, you did do me a favor by killing Bryant."

"Bryant really never mentioned anything about a daughter. Lucky for me I decided to keep her, or he might have killed me. It wasn't I who killed him, by the way," Val looked at me in adoration.

"Hmn, No matter," Bishop clapped his hands once.

A band of men came out from deep in the suite of rooms, surrounding us. All were dressed in black, very near to what Val and I adorned. The difference was they were carrying automatic weapons.

"This is what we trained for, Sofia, are you ready?" Val coached me.

I inhaled deeply, letting the air out slowly, "Ready."

In a split second I pulled the trigger of the pistol I had aimed at Bishop. The bullet hit the window a few centimeters from his head. I then shot four of the men that surrounded us. At this point I could have kissed the man who invented the automatic pistol. The last two men fired their weapon at us, but missed. The stench of burning hair filled the room. I think maybe a bullet just missed my head.

I quickly disarmed the bigger one and shot him in the eye. Blood splattered my clothes, staining the black fabric. Val was having trouble with the smaller one. Apparently he knew how to fight. I aimed my pistol past Val, shooting the other guy in the throat and sending blood pouring out of his jugular.

We collected ourselves for a millisecond. Bishop was gone and more people filled the room. Once I ran out of bullets, I had to take the guns from the dead that piled up around us. Val was the one carrying all the weapons. I only had another spare pistol and a few knives hidden in various places. Eventually he ran out of bullets, and had to take the guns. Luckily these people were horrible shots.

During the battle, I had to fool myself into believing that we were using paintball guns and the blood was red paint. If I panicked now, I wouldn't have made it out of the room. By the time we were finished, the apartment looked like it went through a drive by. There were only a few people standing.

Val and I fled to the car that was parked four blocks away. One thing I loved about the city: the people were too busy to notice two people covered in blood and carrying AK47s running down the sidewalk. Either that or they were too busy to care, as long as it didn't involve them.

Val jumped into the driver's seat, bringing the engine to life. The corvette raced out of the city, heading north. Good thing we checked out of the hotel before we left.

"Where are we going?" I asked unsteady. My limbs were uncontrollably shaking. Not just from exertion, but from nerves also.

"Canada for a few weeks, then we'll go to Mexico," Val answered.

After several house of driving, we drove into a town called Altona. Val rented a room for a few hours in a small rundown motel. The manager smirked at Val, showing yellow, rotten teeth. He probably thought I was a prostitute, but if he noticed the wedding bands, he could have concluded that we were secret lovers. I couldn't blame him. I was clad in a black duster with my hair surrounding my face to hide the blood. Val was donned in the same, but with a black beanie covering his head. It was better for the guy to believe his theory, than too know the truth.

The room was small with a queen sized bed. The brown carpet was so worn that the fibers were matted to the ground. The walls were papered with plain white paper that was yellowish-brown from smoking. Apparently when they made the smoking law, the hotel didn't see fit to change the paper. Ugly paintings adorned the walls. On one, the glass was cracked. Obviously the owner was too lazy to follow codes. The comforter was a boring blue color with no design. It reminded me of the blankets you find in nursing homes. The bathroom fared no better. It had only room for a toilet, a small sink, and a shower with no tub.

During our shared shower for quickness, a revelation came over me. Val waited to kill Bishop because he wanted him to explain to me himself why he had my family killed. Why couldn't he tell me himself? Val already knew Chester was Bishop, that's why he wouldn't let me read the 'report' we were given.

"You knew," I blurted suddenly.

"Knew what?" Val asked, startled.

"You knew about Bishop the whole time and didn't tell me! You better have a good explanation!"

"At least you give me the benefit of the doubt," Val grabbed my bare shoulders, "Would you have believed me if I told you, and you didn't see it for yourself?"

I thought about it for a second, "You're right, I wouldn't have believed you. I would have thought you were being an ass."

"I know you better than you think I do," he kissed my forehead and turned off the shower, "Come, we need to leave."

After dumping our bloody clothes in the dumpster, we took off once again, always driving north, heading toward Canada. I didn't really know why the change of plans, but I really didn't care. We were getting the hell out of there before Bishop could pursue us.

Val and I passed through the border without incident. Good thing I mentioned to sell the stolen guns. We were worried about the ones Val actually owned, but he had a special permit stating that he could bring them anywhere. It was probably a fake, as was all his passports. Upon further investigation, I found that I had one too.

We drove on until we reached the city of Haileybury in Ontario. It was around ten at night when we pulled into a motel. The office was small and simple. The flower wall paper was peeling off the walls. The red carpet was worn from age. It smelled of onions and cigarette smoke. An old desk stood at the back of the room. It was littered with papers, some spilling on the floor.

Val acquired a room from the man behind the desk. He looked to be in his fifties and nearly bald. But he made the reservations without a word, and carried on with his business. I liked people who didn't ask questions.

The room was just as simple with a light brown carpet and plain white walls. A water color painting of mountains hung on the wall next to the bed for décor. The bedspread was crème with flowered vines swirled through the fabric.

Without a word, Val and I climbed into bed and went to sleep. I didn't even bother changing into my pajamas. I just stripped down to my underpants and curled up against Val's warmth.

"_Sofia," my father appeared._

_I was in his study, sitting in a brown leather chair in front of his darkly stained desk. My father was leaning on the desk, standing in front of me. It was slightly imposing, especially if you actually knew him._

"_You know what we want you to do?"_

_I rolled my eyes at my mind's apparition, "You want me to kill Bishop. You also want me to marry the man whose hands killed you. If I didn't know any better, I would think I was crazy."_

"_No, Sofia, do __**not**__ go after Bishop. He is far more dangerous than you realize," my father replied. Worry framed his greenish brown eyes._

"_It's too late for that, Father. Now get out of my conscience."_

"_Don't you think your conscience is trying to tell you through me? Even you know, Sofia, Bishop is not a man to be trifled with," My father disappeared as quickly as he showed._

"Wake up, my love," Val whispered in Italian.

"I am hardly your love," I snapped in English.

"Ah, but you are the love of my life," he replied in English, his Italian accent making the words seem sincere.

"And you would perish without me," I mocked.

"Exactly," Val smiled.

"How ever did you survive before?" I asked dramatically.

"I do not know," he kissed me on the forehead, "Come, take a shower and breakfast will be waiting."

The clock read seven in the morning. I stifled a yawn and headed in the bathroom. It was a typical hotel bathroom with crème tiled floors, dirty white walls, and starchy bleached towels.

When I emerged from the steamy depths of the shower, an assortment of breakfast foods crowded the small table.

I wasn't sure what you would want," Val explained the amount of food.

I scooped small portions of bacon, eggs and hashed browned potatoes on a plate. I wasn't all that hungry after the events that took place the day before. After we ate, Val showered while I repacked my toiletries.

By the time we were both ready, the clock read eight-thirty. The morning air was crisp. Autumn was quickly falling upon us. Taking turns driving, we drove for hours, stopping only to eat and use the bathroom. I did most of the driving. It was my car, and I was going to be the one to drive.

"How far are we going?" I asked half asleep. It was during a small period where I let Val drive.

"I have a contact in Sidney. He was a member of our tribe that chose to support us from the outside.

"How far is that?"

"It's another day's drive. You're taking this awfully well. Are you sure you're alright?"

"No, and I don't want to talk about it," I snapped.

We both fell silent. I watched the scenery flash by like a subliminal message. Eventually we pulled into a hotel in Terrace bay. I stayed in the car while Val secured us a room. I really wasn't in the mood to be mistaken for a prostitute again.

The room was just as plain and boring as the last. If I ever opened up my own hotel, it was definitely going to have some pizzazz. The white sheets were stiff with starch and bleach. The plain crème colored bedspread had a few brown stains that I hoped was coffee.

"Are you sure you're alright, Sofia?" Val prodded, pulling me into his arms.

"Please don't make me relive what I'm desperately trying to forget," I pleaded.

"I know the first kill is hard, even I still have nightmares," Val comforted.

"Besides the fact that it wasn't my first kill, it was a massacre. I had to fool myself that it was one of the scrimmages with red paint," tears flowed down my face.

Val held me tighter, pressing my face in his sculpted chest, "You did what you had to do to survive."

"But I killed all those people."

"If you didn't they would have killed you. When they were finished covering it up, they would have gone on with their lives as if nothing happened. Sofia, don't mourn their loss."

I said nothing, but continued to cry into his chest. Some of those men I knew since I was born. I knew their wives. I had played with their children. I even babysat a few, the week before my family was killed.

4


	24. Chapter 24 Dreams

NightWorldFreak - Thank you for adding this to your favorites list.

Laheba Alam - thanks

Sorry for the delay everybody, I've been pretty down lately.

Chapter 24 – Dreams

_That night I dreamed of the penthouse_. _Martin Bishop walked closer to me from where he stood. He grew bigger as he moved closer, growing the height of a giant reaching the ceiling. His eyes began to glow bright red as if bulbs were implanted behind his irises. He was laughing mechanically, his teeth growing into sharp points and protruding from his mouth. His men filled the room to the brim, all shooting at me. Every time I managed to shoot one, they would get back up and attack me again. I felt the bullets penetrate my skin, stinging my organs. I thought nothing could hurt you in a dream. Then again, I was still standing, but the pain was searing my body._

I woke with a start, sitting up and nearly screaming. Val, startled by my sudden outburst, whipped around. A blade flashed in the dim clock light, almost cutting my neck. When he finally noticed tears falling down my face, he pulled me into a hug. I didn't fight him. I just sobbed into his chest while he attempted in vain to comfort me. He pet my hair and kissed my face, but nothing could alleviate my pain. Finally he just took to holding me and let me cry it all out of my system.

"What did you dream about that hurt you so?" he asked after I had exhausted my tear ducts.

I told him, in every detail. I wanted him to feel the pain that I felt, but I knew that could never happen. He was already a cold blooded killer; massacres had little effect on him. When I finished, he held me tighter to his chest. I pulled out of his grasp from lack of breath. He grabbed my face and planted a kiss on my forehead. He then planted another on my cheek. I pulled his face close to mine, pressing my lips to his.

His fingers softly teased my bare flesh as our bodies united, carrying out our animalistic instincts. My finger nails dug deeper into the sweaty flesh on his back as he pushed me over the edge of ecstasy.

I opened my sienna eyes to find Val's amber irises looking back, illuminated by the specks of light glowing through the heavy white curtains that covered the window.

"You're terrible," I glared at him.

"Why?" he looked hurt.

"Taking advantage of a girl that is vulnerable like that. You're so," I couldn't think of a better word, "Male."

"Yes, but you liked it, and now you feel better," he countered hopefully.

"We're talking about what you did, not the result."

"You're the one who feels better. I say it was you who took advantage of me."

"I'm pretty sure you feel even better than I do." I snapped.

"I have to admit, a lot of tension has been released."

I glared at him. He looked back at me in horror. I loved getting him going. It was the least I could do after all he put me through. I gave him five more seconds to squirm under my hateful gaze. Then I burst out laughing.

Now it was his turn to glare, "Stop picking."

I grinned mischievously at him.

"Come, it's late, we need to leave," he headed into the bathroom. I supposed it was up to me to get breakfast.

As I walked to the office where the motel held the breakfast buffet, I thought about everything that had happened in the past two years. After all my escape attempts, I would think Val wouldn't trust me enough to let me out of his sight.

Right now, while he was in the shower, I could take the Corvette and leave. He wouldn't know where I went and it would take him a long time to find me. I would have to change cars, of course. A lime green Corvette this far north stands out a little bit. I would then drive, I don't know, I could go anywhere. I would definitely take a flight out of the country. Maybe go to Ireland or England, maybe somewhere more remote. It would have to be a bigger city. A new comer would definitely stand out in a small town. I would have to take all his money, and my clothes.

The thought was overly tempting, but I knew I wouldn't get far, especially with Bishop hunting me. There would be two people I would have to hide from and Bishop had resources all over the world. I'm pretty sure Val did too. People that were once part of the village or at least working for them.

Bishop was another matter. My dad was his second in command. He trusted Bishop more than he trusted his own wife. I didn't just want revenge for taking my family from me. I wanted to make him suffer for betraying my father. He would meet him in hell, and then my dad can have his way with him. Whether I wanted to admit it or not, I needed Val to accomplish this. We also had been though a lot in the last few days. I was even starting to like the bastard, believe it or not.

I finally reached the breakfast bar. It was a small room next to the main office. The floors were plain white tile, easier to clean up spills. A large folding table sat against the wall. It held baskets of pastries, doughnuts, and muffins in brown wicker baskets. Another table in the corner held a coffee maker and jugs of orange juice. I filled a paper plate with as many delicious pastries and muffins as it would hold. I filled up two paper cups with juice, and carried one in my teeth, and the other in my free hand.

The early morning air was crisp with a slight chill. The leaves were just beginning to turn. The sun was hidden behind a morning haze of dark clouds. The weather was definitely changing. It would snow probably by the end of October.

Val was waiting in the room when I returned. He was grumbling under his breath while he hurriedly packed his bags. Upon my entrance, he looked at me in astonishment.

"This is all they had," I said, freeing my hands and mouth of our breakfast.

"You could have run," he answered, obviously still stunned.

"I didn't," I replied.

"Why not," he asked.

"Many reasons; if you don't find me, Bishop will. It's not hard to track a lime-green Corvette, especially this far north. And-"

Val's expression cut me off. His amber eyes were wide in realization, "We need to go. Hurry, take your shower. We can eat on the way."

"What, why," I asked.

"You just pointed something out that I should have seen before. We're more than likely being followed. Leave it to you to pick a car that stands out."

"It's easier to find when I'm in a crowded parking lot," I protested.

Val and I took turns driving on the long road to Sidney, Manitoba. Day slowly turned into night as we traveled through the countryside. We stopped at a fast food shop for supper. To avoid detection from our pursuers, we hurried through the drive through. To save on time, we didn't stop for the night, we were also very close to Sidney, and there really was no point. I just hoped Bishops men didn't catch up to us.

We arrived in Sidney around one in the morning. It took another twenty minutes to find the house where we were supposed to meet Val's contact.

The gravel crunched as we drove down a long drive on the outskirts of town. We parked in front of a large brick Tudor style house with white stone gables that had wood lining for décor. In some places, the wood framed the windows. It was a huge house, probably three stories. The front was decorated with green bushes that twisted in a spring rising almost to the second story. The roof was made of brown and gray shingles to match the red brick. The drive was made of small pink pebbles that led way off the road into a quarter of a mile of woods. It looped in front of the house and rejoined it's self in a large circle.

In the center of the circle stood a fountain statue of a naked woman stuck in the position of flipping her hair. The granite hair surrounded the woman's face and flailed through the air. The statues eyes were closed from what I could tell in the dim light. Her gray lips hung open slightly in a supposedly sexy pose. Water protruded from the nipples of her bare breasts which were pushed out from the arch in her back. He legs were close together, hiding her genitals. Her arms were pulled back to better extend her chest. The statue was standing on a granite rock that had water-proof lights illuminating the statue. Water poured over the rock from a spout hidden by the statue.

"That's a bit sexual," I commented.

"Wait until you see the back yard," Val answered directing me toward the door.

We walked on the front stoop, pushing a metal button situated next to the door.  
The door was large, made of heavy dark brown wood. The handle was made of tempered metal, shaped in a curve to look like a vine. The latch was the old style thumb press that was shaped like a leaf.

A maid answered the door. She was my height, but very plump. Her skin was dark and wrinkled from many years in the sun. Her dark hair was up in a loose bun, flecks of gray showed her age. She smiled brightly at Val, embracing him in a hug. She then shook my hand as Val gave the introductions, calling me his fiancé. I didn't say anything, finding inappropriate starting a fight in front of this kind woman. But there was defiantly going to be an issue later.

The woman led us into a den. It was so small of a room that a lightly stained wooden desk took up the whole wall in front of the bay window. Of course, the desk wasn't your normal sized desk. Though it was twice the size, it w as littered with stacks of papers and books, scattered over the vast surface. The walls of the room where white, adorned with shelves of more books. The carpet was crème but a dark stain sat in front of the desk. It looked like somebody tried to scrub it out.

"I cut myself with a letter opener a few weeks ago. I haven't yet replaced the carpet," a man's voice spoke.

The large brown leather computer chair behind the desk swiveled around to reveal a man in his fifties. His dark hair was cut short. His olive skin was wrinkled and sun-worn. His eyes were amber; the same shade as Val's. Though he was sitting down, I could tell he was a tall man, possibly taller than Val. He wore a dark blue robe that covered whatever he had or lacked underneath.

"Valerian, what a pleasant surprise, what brings you all the way to Sidney?" the man asked.

"Trouble, we had to change our plans."

"What sort of trouble."

"You should know. Somehow you know everything."

"I only speculate, my dear Nephew. I suppose you were set up by Chester?"

"Yes," Val answered sitting in a leather chair in front of the desk that matched the one behind it.

"Not much of a surprise. Oh, and who is this lovely young lady?"

"Young, yes. Lady, I beg to differ," Val replied.

"Really," Val's obvious uncle inquired.

"Her right hook will prove me right, but I hope you don't want a demonstration."

The man laughed, "I take it you were the one who taught her?"

"No, in fact, that's how we met."

"You can stop talking as if I wasn't here," I snapped.

"Oh, I like her already," he said excitedly.

"Sofia, this is my uncle, Ralf. Uncle Ralf, this is Sofia Bianchi, my fiancée," Val introduced us.

"I'm not your fiancé," I spoke rudely. I was really getting sick of him.

Val growled.

Ralf laughed again, "Mr. Patience has met his match."

"I'll take my usual room," Val said through gritted teeth. He stomped through the room, bringing me with him.

Our borrowed bedroom was gothic style with a black carpet. The walls were painted red with gold trim. The curtains were heavy black, blocking out the light from the grounds. The bed was rod iron with iron roses adorning the headboard, foot board, and posts. The bedspread was red with black vines running through it and gold accents.

"What was that about?" Val snapped, throwing himself on the bed.

"What?" I asked.

"In there, you know damn well you're going to marry me and you don't have a choice."

"Then don't act as if I'm willing."

"What was last night about then," his voice rose a few octaves.

"I was upset, I had a nightmare," I yelled.

"So you use me when it's convenient?"

I sighed, "No, I've told you I don't love you. I'm not even sure if I like you. But when you take your shirt off," I inhaled, "I just want to run my fingers over your body."

"Why?" he said in a deeply sexy tone.

"Because I lust you, it's physical, that's it."

"So when I do this," my eyes followed as he slowly slid his shirt over his head, "It makes you want to ravage me?"

"Not yet," I smiled mischievously, "You have to take your pants off first."

Val stood from the bed, walked up to me, and ran a finger down my cheek. He roughly grabbed me by my hair, pulling my head back. His lips met mine in a deep kiss. After a few minutes of ravaging my mouth with his, he grabbed me by my shoulders and tossed me onto the bed.

"What was that?" Val asked as we settled under the blankets.

"You attacked me," I defended.

"Attacked you?"

"Yes, that's my story and I'm sticking to it," I protested.

"Just get some sleep," he kissed me lusciously on my lips. If he didn't stop, it would have been me attacking him and we would have repeated our task that we had just finished.

The next morning Val woke me up early. I stretched my tired muscles trying to ignore Val's penetrating eyes.

"Hurry, amore mio, my uncle is waiting on us. He is impatient to know what transpired with Bishop." Val cooed.

"How many times do we have to go over this, I am not your love!" I grumbled.

"Whether you want to or not, you are the love of my life."

"Out of how many," I shot.

Val kissed me in answering and ushered me to get dressed. When I say ushered, he handed me a pair of clothes he pulled out of my bag that consisted of jeans and a Beatles t-shirt. They were slightly wrinkled, but I really didn't care.

While Val told his uncle what had happened since Val and I met, I wandered through the back garden. It was full of an assortment of roses, forget-me-nots, and tulips. In the center stood a granite statue of a couple frozen in the act of fornication.

The woman lay on her back, her head arched in pleasure. Her eyes were half closed, the granite skin contorted in ecstasy. Her legs were wrapped around the naked back of her male partner. Hi lips caressed her neck. His hands cupped her breast, the other supporting his muscular torso. The woman's hands were clutching the man's head, her fingers entwined in his hair.

I suppose Val was right when he said the front statue was nothing compared to this one.

4


	25. Chapter 25 Break and Enter

Thank you Elmo for being the only one to leave a review. I worked very hard on this story, I appreciate your input people.

Also, if you added me to your favorites Author's list re do it so I can add it to my profile. thx

Chapter 25 – Break and Enter

We stayed in Sidney for two weeks, hiding the Corvette in the basement garage between a silver Lamborghini and a black Mercedes. Ralf was very hospitable, but made us promise to invite him to the wedding. I tried to tell him there wasn't going to be a wedding, but he was so persistent I was forced to humor him. We spent our time lounging around the house or going over tactics to take with Bishop. We really couldn't come up with anything except how to get away; drive until we hit the southern border.

Val woke me early on a Saturday morning, claiming Ralf's spies spotted pursuers in the city. Supposedly they were going around asking if anybody had seen a lime-green Corvette. Of course, nobody had, we came in at one in the morning, and hadn't left since. Luckily we never unpacked our things so it made for a quicker departure.

We headed south, avoiding town, and heading back into the States. We drove on until we reached South Dakota, not talking, and then moved on the next morning. I watched out the window as the landscape passed by us. Remote farms turned into small quiet towns, turned back into remote farms. We avoided any large city all together for the sake of speed and time. When I didn't robotically stare at the passing scenery, I slept. I didn't know what it was about car rides that always made me sleepy. It was actually how my parents would get me to sleep when I was a baby.

_I was sitting in the backyard of my dad's house. Austin sat next to me in the soft green grass warmed by the sun. Spring time spores floated through the air in fluffy seeds that looked like cotton. I could smell the flowers blooming as I inhaled deeply._

_I rolled my eyes, "What now?"_

"_Sofia," Austin took a deep breath, "I know what you're planning to do."_

"_No shit, seeing as you're me using Austie to talk myself out of it," I snapped, "I really need to see a psychiatrist."_

"_I'm trying to help you."_

"_What is this, the battle of the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other?"_

"_Dad being the angel, me being the devil, figures you would put me in that position," Austie grumbled._

"_Well Dad always said that you were a bad influence when we were younger."_

"_Only when it came to getting you to eat worms," Austin laughed._

"_I was one and a half, I couldn't tell the difference between worms and chocolate covered spaghetti." I argued._

"Sofia," Val's voice woke me up.

"You prick," I nearly yelled.

"What, having a good dream?" he teased.

"Fuck you."

"I figured we could do that in the room."

"Where are we?" I yawned.

"Brice, Texas," he answered.

We stayed the night in a boring motel. This one was a bit cleaner than the rest. The dark blue carpet looked almost new. The lighter blue bedspread was desolate of any stains. The bureau, that was standard in every room on the wall in front of the bed, looked rather new and free of scratches. Even the bathroom was slightly bigger, but was still plain, boring white, and had itchy scratchy towels.

The next day we crossed the border into Mexico, following the endless road that headed south. The border patrol gave Val a hard time about the weapons, even after we showed them both our permits. It set us back an hour, but eventually they couldn't hold us for anything and let us go.

With the only sound being the purr of the engine on the desolate roads of the desert, I almost believed I had gone deaf. After a few more days of endless sand and cacti, the land became a haven of green palm trees and weird tropical bushes that looked like aloe plants with thorns. The houses became more expensive, switching from small shacks to large two or three story mansions. The air began to smell salty and was heavy with moisture. We were near the coast.

"Where-" I began.

"Cancun, Mexico," Val answered with a smile.

"We have to go back."

Val looked at me, his amber eyes gauging my mood, "If that's what you want, we need to form a plan."

We stayed in a beautiful hotel that over looked the ocean. The outside was made of stuff that reminded me of pink plaster. Most of the other houses were built in the same. The room was classic Mexican style, but exquisite. The walls were made of the same material as the outside. Paintings and pictures of Mayan ruins decorated the bare spots. The floor was hard wood only coated with polyurethane to make it shine. The bed had a thin woven blanket to keep out the slight chill of the night. A net surrounded the bed to keep out bugs that would sneak into our room while we slept.

I was swimming in the cool blue waters of the ocean, floating weightless on the waves. We had been in Cancun for around two weeks, lounging in the sun, trying to figure out a plan.

"Come up with anything yet?" Val asked, wading next to me.

"Sure, we go back to the states and kill the fucker," I answered. That had been my idea since we arrived.

"Sofia, we need a plan. We can't just wing it, it's suicidal," Val explained exasperated. It had to be the billionth time we had this discussion.

"I would have had a plan if you didn't wake me up in the car," I snapped.

"That was two weeks ago. What were you possibly dreaming about that would help us?"

I stood up and glared at him, "My brother."

Val laughed, "Your brother's dead."

"I know, you made sure of that, but it still would have helped."

"Sofia, I," I ignored him and swam to shore.

We went on like that for months. October turned into November. November turned quickly into December. January came and went like a subliminal message on television. We still didn't have a plan. I racked my brain for the information that lay hidden, unused, and un-useful in its dormancy.

When February crept by, I began to panic. The more I panicked, the harder it was to think. The harder it was to think, the more I panicked. I tried brainstorming activities, which we learned in school, to no avail. I didn't know enough about Bishop to really help us.

I couldn't sleep. I woke up every morning more tired and miserable than the night before. Val ended up getting mad and buying sleeping pills, but they didn't help either. I tossed and turned even while I slept. That made it worse. My health started to fail, I was feeling weak. I had to force food down my throat, but it would only end in making me feel nauseated.

"Sofia," Val spoke one night. He was really beginning to worry, "You shouldn't dwell. We will come up with something eventually."

"Eventually might be too late," I snapped then turned away from him in the bed.

He pulled me close to him and sung me an Italian lullaby. When he had finished, I rolled to face him and buried my face in his chest.

_I sat on my bed in my old room. The black and silver comforter was pulled back slightly revealing purple satin sheets. The black gauze hangings were pulled back on one side. Austin sat down next to me, his greenish-brown eyes held concern._

"_It's about time," I ranted._

"_You're telling me," he defended, "You can't keep panicking like this, it's unhealthy."_

"_Says the one who is dead," I snapped._

"_Touché, Sofia," Austie snapped back._

"_If you showed up, I wouldn't be panicking," I argued._

"_It's your mind, not mine."_

"_Whatever, so what is the plan before Val decides to wake me up."_

"_Do you remember learning that Bishop winters in Texas, leaving Dad in charge?"_

"_Apparently it's buried deep in my brain or you wouldn't be telling me this. Where in Texas is it?"_

"_The estate is just outside of Fort Worth. It's an old plantation his great grandfather owned. You have to be careful because the place is crawling with guards. They do rotations with the radios every two minutes. Shift change is at seven am, six pm, and twelve am. Remember me explaining it to you when you were actually curious about our business?"_

"_Now I do, but that was when I was like thirteen. Is that it?"_

"_Be careful, Sis, I don't want to see you any time soon."_

_Austin walked out of the room. I could hear his feet softly hit the black carpet. We used to talk like this all the time. Especially when he saw that I was mad about something, which I usually was growing up. Ah, to be a teenager again. Of course, life for me was never really simple, but that was as simple as it got._

"Sofia, wake up," Val shook my shoulder, "It's late, we're going to miss breakfast."

Heaven forbid Val misses a meal.

"Have you ever heard of letting a sleeping dog lie?" I growled.

"Yes, but you're not a dog. Come," Val smiled.

"You're lucky."

"Why?"

"Because I have a plan," I smiled.

"Do share, over breakfast."

He threw clothes at me, not letting me take a shower. We went down stairs to the main level where the hotel was serving a buffet style breakfast for the guests, compliments of the house, of course.

While we munched on bacon and eggs, I told Val about the dream and what had transpired. He smiled at my revelation, and refilled my plate.

"We leave in a week, but we're not leaving this table until you have finished eating," he announced.

"I'm a human, not a garbage disposal," I protested. From the prolonged lack of eating, my stomach couldn't hold very much. I think I even lost weight, probably putting my body fat ratio down to five percent. Unfortunately, I had lost some muscle mass as well.

"We have a week to get you back into shape, now eat."

The next week was hell. Val wasn't lying about getting me back into shape. We had exercised a little through the months, but I really wasn't into it. Now I had to suffer the consequences and work double time to get my body back into peak condition. Luckily he gave me the last day of our stay off, letting me lounge around the hotel or on the beach. Unfortunately, that was all he would let me do claiming I needed to be energized for our trip. Why I needed energy for a car ride, I couldn't fathom.

The car ride back to the states was quiet. We both were too busy thinking about what was to come. Val decided we would stay in a hotel in Dallas and gather information.

As February turned into March, the warm weather only got hotter. Val and I took turns spending time scouting the perimeter of Bishop's estate. Turns out my memory served me correctly on the patterns of Bishop's guards. As April swiftly approached, we noticed he was preparing to leave. We had to make our move and fast.

On April sixteenth, we did; happy twenty-third birthday to me.

Val led as we snuck onto the grounds. We hid in the bushes, listening to the guards sound off their perimeters. I couldn't tell in the dark what kind of bush we hid in, but it was definitely mean. I had small scratches on my exposed skin from the hard branches.

The lawn was a plush forest green in the dim light. The front was lined with trees and bushes to hide the house from the road. A red brick path led from the drive to the front door. Flood lights lined the roof every few yards. The unlit bulbs were barely visible in the moon light. The mansion looked like your normal, average, plantation house. The white washed siding was well kept and probably painted every few years. The Roman columns held the front porch together, reminding me of the White House. This was the opposite; a mobster's house, the epitome of anarchy.

"Perimeter four, clear," a male's voice said through a walkie-talkie. It was dangerously close to our position. I could hear the static almost in my ear. Another voice responded, "Perimeter five, clear," The guy closest to our hiding spot called perimeter six.

Val moved to kill the guard but I grabbed his arm, "I want to see how many there are," I whispered.

"I knew there was a reason why I kept you," he whispered back.

I glared at him while the guards finished their rounds. Twenty of them patrolled the perimeter. All of them probably armed to the teeth with automatic weapons. Wouldn't it be kind of cool if they invented a gun you could shoot with your mouth? On second thought, that would be kind of dangerous.

"We should start from one and work our way up. By the time we finish, there will be nobody to begin," I suggested.

"No good, we don't know where they all are," Val answered.

I sighed, "Shit."

"Let's use your trick," Val suggested.

"What, the roof?"

"Nobody ever thinks about the chimney," Val smirked.

"Except for me, how are we supposed to get up there without being seen?"

Val pointed to a rose lattice that was hidden behind a giant bush. It led to the porch roof which was shadowed by the massive building. I noticed that an open window stood in the center. It would be much easier than trying to climb to the top and risk being seen. When I pointed this out, Val agreed. I went first, seeing I was the smaller one.

The roof was made of light colored shingles to keep out the southern heat. A light was on behind dark blue curtains. I crawled through the window while Val crouched, blending with the darkness.

The room was an office. The dark wooden walls were lined with bare shelves. The floor was hard wood with a blue and gold throw. To my right, a male sat behind a desk. He was probably in his late twenties or even thirty. He had sandy brown hair, and light brown eyes. He wasn't as tall as Val, but compared to me, if you're over five-five, you're tall. This was Bishop's son, Stephen. I only met him twice, but the only impression he left was a bad one. I couldn't count how many times he attempted to get in bed with me on both occasions. This guy was a pervert.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I couldn't find the front door," I spoke innocently.

He looked at me stunned, apparently he recognized me. Seeing that I was supposed to be dead, I would have been in shock too. Before he could reply, I pulled out my silenced pistol and shot him in the head. Blood and brains splattered the wall behind him as the bullet tore the back of his skull apart.

"All clear," I whispered, knowing Val would hear.

"Whoa," he said as he climbed inside, "He's not getting an open casket."

"Let's just make sure none of them gets an open casket."

"Remind me never to fuck with you."

"You already have. That's how all of this started, remember?" I snapped.

Val led as we silently exited Stephen's office. The hallway was hard wood with a green runner that had pink flowers and gold accents. Instead of a wall, a dark colored banister surrounded the whole entrance room. Down below, the green marble floor glistened in the dim light. The walls were dark wood with several portraits of the family. In the center of the room stood a small round table with a large vase full of pink lilies.

The staircase was made of the same wood as the hall. I had a feeling this was how the whole house was decorated.

We descended the stairs, glancing around for guards. Val searched a room on the left while I stood guard. I was startled by a noise behind me. Spinning around, my pack hit the table. The vase seemed to move in slow motion as it shattered into millions of pieces on the floor.

A guard rushed into the room, gun raised. He fell to the floor before he could take aim at me. I turned to see Val standing in the door way, holding his pistol up.

"You klutz!" he hissed.

"Notice that's the only thing I ever run into," I commented.

"Those damn table and vases must have it out for you."

"Tango-three, this is Alpha, do you copy? Over," the radio buzzed on the dead guy's belt, "Tango-three, do you copy, over… Tango-three, are you there?"

Val lifted the radio, "Alpha, this is Tango-three, a maid knocked over a vase, I was investigating. Over," he spoke in a perfect southern accent.

"Get back to your post. Over and out," the radio replied.

A wave of relief washed over me as the radio went on with its rounds.

Peering through a set of double doors, I found a dining hall. The table was oak with enough room to seat twenty. A huge chandelier hung over head, the crystal beads twinkling in the light. Three people sat at the table drinking wine.

All three were women; none were Bishop. I pushed the doors open further, causing the women to shriek as they saw Val and I in the door way; twins clad in black, one much smaller than the other. The women were dressed in fancy clothing, their blond hair styled elaborately. They wore jewelry that made the Queen of England look like a vagabond. I could tell they were related by the blonde hair and gray eyes.

"Where's Bishop?" I demanded.

Nobody answered.

I raised my gun and shot the closest female. She looked to be in her early twenties, the youngest of the bunch. This was Bishop's youngest daughter, Maria. We had played together as children, but grew apart once we hit ten. I never liked her anyway; she was very stuck up. The other two women shrieked as their family member hit the floor in a pile of blood and brains.

"Where's Bishop?" I roared, aiming the gun at what was her older sister, Caprice. She flinched as if I had hit her.

Still nobody answered.

I squeezed the trigger slowly, measuring how many clicks it took for the gun to fire.

"Wait," the oldest woman said. She was Bishop's wife, Donna, "He's out, I'm not sure where. I'm guessing at the Rusty Armadillo. It's located on Hurley Ave."

"Good," I pulled the trigger, and then aimed my gun at the woman as Caprice slumped to the floor.

"Why are you doing this?" she whimpered.

"Don't you know who I am?" I smirked.

"N-no," she replied. Blood and brains from her oldest daughter stained her pink dress and splattered her face.

"You're a smart woman, this should be easy."

"Sofia," she whispered. Her gray eyes were open wide in realization, "You're supposed to be dead."

"Supposed to be and being are two different things," I grinned vindictively.

"You kill us, my husband kills you, when does this vicious circle end?" she spoke nobly.

"It ends when your husband meets you in hell," a silent whiz flew through the air as I pulled the trigger. I turned on my heel and stalked out of the room.

"What the hell was that about?" Val whispered urgently.

"Bishop's wife and two daughters, I want this man to suffer before I put him in his grave."

"So you kill innocent people?" Val protested.

I whirled around to face him, "Who the hell are you to lecture me? They were even less innocent than my mother. Bishop never relays an order until he consults his wife first. It was probably her idea to have my family killed," I turned down the hall, kicking open doors to empty rooms as I passed.

"Where are you going, Bishop's not here," Val appeared next to me.

"She was lying," I stated.

"How do you know?"

"Two reasons; first, she knew I was going to kill her. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't have told the truth. Second, his Mercedes was in the drive."

Val looked at me shocked, "I think I trained you too well."

I shrugged as we kept walking silently through the halls killing the few people we met in the various rooms. I hated to kill so many servants that really had nothing to do with Bishop's operation, but we couldn't afford having them tattle-tattle on us.

As we drew further into the house, I couldn't help but notice that nobody pursued us. The dead guard and women had to have been found by now.

I was about to voice this when the huge oak door in front of us opened. A mass of guards dressed in black S.W.A.T. uniforms flooded the hallway. In the center of this mass, Bishop stood wearing an expensive gray suit. There was a scar on his left cheek from where my first bullet just barely missed him.

"I was wondering when you would show. Where's lover boy?"

"Lover boy," I asked with an attitude.

Turning to look behind me, I saw another mass of S.W.A.T. guards blocking my path, but Val was MIA.

That bastard abandoned me!

8


	26. Chapter 26 Interrogation

SORRY FOR THE EXTREAMLY LONG WAIT. I've been really busy in school.

LoveMeNow - Read this, you'll see. this is one of my fave chapters.

rocktheroxie - me neither, so here it is lol

Laheba Alam -not necessarily true. ;)

fantasyfreaks - Thank you

Hey I'm Italian! Ok so you're right. lol. I was talking to my boyfriend who's Irish. I said "I hate it when you drink, all you want to do is fight." he said 'what's your excuse?" I said, "I'm Italian, I always want to fight"

You will find out in this chapter

Sofia will never lower herself to be a damsel in distress and she would slap you for even thinking that.

who says Sofia isn't dead? Oh wait, if she was there wouldn't be any more story, but it would make a good ending. Maybe I should change it.

Those were Bishop's special ops guards. lol

You have your entire family killed infront of you and not want revenge for the person responsible. Not only that, he was considered a member of their family. I would go ape-shit too. Then again, I'm slightly on the psycho side.

ps. thank Dan Brown for giving me the idea for this. I forgot which book, the davinci code? which ever one had the Hassassin.

* * *

Chapter 26 – Interrogation

My head felt as if it were going to explode. My eyes felt as if they were going to pop out of their sockets, and they weren't even open. My body felt as if a heavy blanket lay over me, like the ones made of led they use at the dentist for x-rays. A phone rang to my right, each vibration echoing waves of pain that made me grind my teeth.

My hair was pulled back into a ponytail; every movement of my head caused more pain as the tiny follicles pulled at my scalp. I could feel my body sitting in a hard chair. My arms were cuffed behind the back. My legs were tied to the metal frame.

Would somebody answer that damn phone?

Slowly, I lifted my lids. They didn't get very far, my eyes were so swollen. I groaned as the ringing turned into a steady buzz.

It must have been my ears.

I was in some sort of cemented room, a garage or basement perhaps. In the center of the floor was a drain. It had to be easier to wash away the blood. Along the walls hung just about every power tool one could buy at Lowes, Sears, or even Home Depot. All were strangely clean as if they had never been used. I supposed they were never used on what they were intended.

"Glad to have you back," Bishop's voice sent fresh waves of agony through my skull. I glared up at him the best I could. "Sofia, I don't want this to be more difficult than it has to be. If you cooperate, I will make your death a fast and painless as possible."

I continued to glare, un-answering.

"Tell me, who was that man that came with you?"

No reply. He already knew the answer any way. He was only testing me for cooperation that he wasn't going to get.

"Please, Sofia, you can tell me," his voice was so soft and caring; it made me want to give him an answer.

"Doctor Seuss," My voice was hoarse and raw.

Bishop sighed, "Sofia, you don't have to do this."

"Good, then let me go," I snapped.

"What do you know of the Apalates?"

"They are a mythical tribe of assassins. You should know that, you're the one who gave my father Myths and Mysteries of Europe."

"Where are they located?"

"According to legend, they are somewhere in the Appalachian Mountains, hence the name 'Apalates.'"

"Where in the Appalachians," Bishop demanded. His face was beginning to turn a pretty shade of red.

"How the hell am I supposed to know?"

Bishop's tan face wrinkled in a frown. He slapped me hard across the face, sending waves of exquisite pain through my body. It told me I was still alive.

"Where did you go after you left?" he demanded. His chocolate eyes were rimmed with anger.

"I followed the Easter Bunny down the yellow brick road and ended up in Narnia."

He slapped me again, "Who were you with?"

"My fairy god mother," I continued.

He punched me in the stomach. The air rushed out of my lungs, "Answer me correctly."

I laughed, but all Bishop heard was a choked wheeze, "I never thought you would be one to get your hands dirty."

Bishop looked at the blood on his hands; my blood, from several cuts on my face and in my mouth. He slapped me again, knocking me and the chair to the floor. I landed hard, my head hitting the concrete. I was dazed as I watched my blood smear the floor from a split lip. It would be washed down the drain when Bishop was through with me.

Where was Val? When he gets to hell, I'll be the first to greet him. He'll be begging Satan for mercy. Satan, of course won't give it to him. That would be Val's punishment: an eternity of me torturing him.

"Pick her up," Bishop waited impatiently as his goons righted the chair. It was slightly bent from the fall.

My body hung limp; the only thing holding it up were my bonds. I was too weak to lift my head.

"Who was with you?" Bishop pulled my head back by my hair. I could no longer feel the pain.

"Huckleberry Finn," I wheezed.

Bishop punched my stomach, "What do you know about the Apalates?"

"They're a mythical-"

Bishop slapped me, knocking me to the floor again. Instead of making his goons pick me back up, he kicked me anywhere and everywhere his foot could reach. Blood flooded my mouth and poured out of my nose. I thought I felt a rib crack, then another, and another. I was millimeters from death. My body was numb from the pain. Or maybe there was too much pain that my brain had an information overload.

Suddenly Bishop stopped. I heard shouts from the guards and gunfire. The loud bangs sent ripples of pain down my spine. As I surrendered into the welcoming darkness, I could have sworn I saw Bishop's lifeless face lying in front of mine on the floor, blood pouring from a wound in his head.

Is this what dying was like: nothing but silence? I thought the last thing to go was your hearing. What plain was I on? What dimension was I in? Where was the bright white light? Then again, I was doomed to go to hell, so why would there be a light. What about the final judgment? Wasn't I entitled to speak in my own defense? After all that I had been through, I think I deserved to explain why I did the things I did.

My arms felt loose, no pull from the handcuffs. Val's handsome face appeared before mine. His amber eyes were rimmed with tears. His black hair hung in his smooth face. It had grown longer since we first left. I so wanted to run my fingers through his silky locks one last time. His pink lips moved, but I couldn't hear what he was saying. Ah, his lips were so pink, so plump, and so kissable. I wanted so much to press my lips against his.

Val's face disappeared from view. If I was dead, why was I seeing Val? Maybe it was a delusion of my mind. I felt my body lifting off the ground, floating higher toward the darkness. I landed on something soft, a cloud perhaps. It rocked me gently until I fell asleep. I didn't know the dead could sleep. I thought it was just a limitation of our physical bodies. We learn something new every day. I suppose dying wasn't an exception.

My body felt like it was on fire. Was I finally in hell? I know I recently killed a lot of people, but hey most of them deserved it. It felt as if a weight sat on my chest, hindering my movement. I attempted to lift my arm, but couldn't get it to budge. Mustering all my strength, I rolled onto my side. Whatever was underneath me, disappeared and I landed on something hard a few feet down with a loud grunt.

I cried out as pain seared through my whole body. Footsteps rushed toward me. Strong arms gently lifted me back on the cloud. Thank you, God… or Satan.

"Sofia, you have to be more careful," Valerian's voice scolded softly. I didn't know God or Satan sounded like Val.

It must have been another delusion.

Lips pressed against my forehead. They felt cool and soft against my hot skin. "Sofia, amore mio, I'm so sorry. Please come back to me," Val's Italian accent whispered in my ear. His voice faded as did every other sound.

Sweat poured out of my body. It was hotter than hell in here. Of course it was, this was hell, and it would be this hot. Sheets were wrapped around my body, the fabric sticking to my wet skin. My muscles screamed in protest as I tried to move my limbs, sending shards of pain through my body. I could hear people talking in a foreign language. It sounded like Spanish, but I couldn't make out the words.

With a groan, I forced myself to sit up. Pain shot through my torso and I was forced to flop back down. Where was I? I could still feel the cloud underneath me. It was surrounding my body like a fluffy hammock. As I pried my eyes open, a mosquito net obscured my vision. The sheets on the bed I was in were made of white cotton. Pillows surrounded me, apparently so I wouldn't fall out. The walls were crème plaster. The floor was hard wood to keep it cool. A breeze blew in from the open balcony door making the peach curtains fly gracefully. The air was heavy with moisture. As I woke up more, I could smell food cooking, wafting in on the breeze.

Footsteps swiftly approached me, "Sofia?" Val's voice cooed, "Don't move, amore mio, you have three broken ribs," a large hand held me down gently.

I glared up at him and pathetically slapped him across the cheek. I cried out from the force of the blow as it traveled up my arm and flooded my body. Now I understand the phrase 'this hurts me more than it hurts you.'

"I deserved that, but please, let me explain."

"Then explain," I snapped. My voice was hoarse from disuse.

"I heard them coming, but it was too late to warn you. I figured it would be better to hide and come back for you than have both of us caught."

Val's explanation made sense. I would have done the same thing. "Is Bishop dead?" I asked.

"Yes and the estate torched," he answered.

"You are sure Bishop is dead?"

"His brain matter was splattered all over you. I assure you, Bishop is dead."

"Where are we?"

"Back in Mexico, we will head home as soon as I dub you fit for travel."

"My car," I pressed.

Val laughed, "You were beaten within an inch of your life and you're worried about a car?"

I looked at him expectantly.

"It's fine."

"No blood?"

"You were a mess, but I figured you would get mad, so I laid down a few blankets, courtesy of Mr. Bishop. Let me get you something to eat," Val left the room shaking his head, "Here I am, fretting for days, and she's worried about a car."

It wasn't for another two weeks Val dubbed me fit for travel though my ribs still ached. It would take another two weeks to get back to the village so I should have been fine as long as I kept them wrapped while we rode.

Bishop's death was all over the news. The police speculated that it was a rival gang hit. Fortunately, they didn't know what gang and there was no proof because the fire obliterated any evidence. They were unsure that it even was Bishop or his family in the house until they got back the DNA results extracted from their teeth.

It made me laugh because what the police thought was a whole gang, was actually two people. One of them was thought to be dead, the other nonexistent.

Before we left the states, I begged Val to drive to New York so I could visit my family's graves. We had a special plot for the Bianchi family, so I knew where to go. Val stayed in the car, parked in the lane while I walked the short distance through the plush green grass

Four fresh graves sat in a row after my grandparents. The stones were expensive rose colored granite that stood to my knees. The first one was inscribed with my father's name in large capitalized letters. A small prayer was etched below the dates. The second sat my mother's which was suited in the same. I kneeled in front of Austin's grave, running my fingers over the letters.

"It's done, Austie. Bishop is dead. You can rest in peace," I whispered.

As if to answer, a light breeze gusted. My hair swayed in the current. The scent of roses filled my nose; my favorite flower. It was too early for them to bloom. That was all the closure I needed. Austie and my parents were at peace, wherever they are.

The fourth grave stood at the center of the row. It was mine.

**Sofia Dominiquea Bianchi**

**April 16, 1987 – August 14, 2007**

**Beloved daughter and sister**

I read the words over and over until the image was imprinted in my brain. Screaming in a fit of rage, I kicked my stone. It fell over, breaking in half from the force of my blow. My leg throbbed from the shock as I fell onto the ground in my effort. My ribs sent waves of pain that emanated all over my body. I was not dead, at least not yet and I wanted them to know it without really _knowing_ it. They needed to see me in the flesh to prove anything. They needed me to go into a public place and shout "I am Sofia Dominiquea Bianchi, and I am alive!" The feat sounded tempting, but I knew it would never happen.

I would go back to the hidden village and spend the rest of my life with Val. I would marry him eventually, but there would be many arguments about having kids.

The plane ride to Europe was shorter than I remembered. We were in a big private jet so we could bring the Corvette. We landed somewhere in Austria and traveled by road until we reached the farm with the sweet elderly couple who knew better than to ask questions. I hated to leave the Corvette, but they assured me they would take good care of it. Val also promised to get me a puppy before we left to get my mind off the car and act as a practice child. Of course, I didn't realize this until we got half way home. But we have not reached that part of the story yet.

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	27. Chapter 27FINAL A Wedding and a Funeral

BECAUSE I MADE YOU WAIT SO LONG FOR THE 26 CHAPTER, HERE'S CHAPTER 27 AND THE LAST CHAPTER OF THE SERIES!!!!!

THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND FAVORITE ADDITIONS!!!!!!!!

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Chapter 27 – A wedding and a Funeral

Val and I checked all of the local pet stores, but none of the cute puppies were the right one. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant. It looked very close to a diner in the States. The menu was written in German, so Val ordered for me.

We were on our way out to continue our search, when I spotted a flyer stapled to a pole for Huskies for sale. Well, I assumed that's what it said. I couldn't read German. I only saw the pictures of the pups. Val confirmed what it said and called the number.

We purchased a female pup with bright blue eyes, the color of the sky on a sunny day. The fur around her eyes was black and went down her back, spreading to her rib cage and ending at the base of her tail. The bottom half of her body and tail were white. I decided to name her Cielo for sky, because of her eyes.

Our ride back to the village took us longer than expected due to my injured ribs. Of course, it didn't help that I kicked my grave over. Cielo slept in the tent with us for warmth, but demanded to go outside in the middle of the night. We took turns getting up with her as easily as any parent would with a new born. Naturally, it was always me who got up. That was when I realized that Cielo was our practice child. If Val was so set on having kids, this getting up routine would definitely have to change.

We made it back to the village just as the snow finished melting. The smell of late spring filled the air. The rest of Europe was well into summer, but we were high in the mountains where summer only lasted a few months.

The horses pranced down the slope while Cielo poked her head out of the puppy bad on my back. The Villagers stood in the cobble stone streets, watching our procession as we approached the mansion. Apparently news travels fast.

"Is this normal?" I asked Val.

"No, Father called before we left the farm. Don't be surprised if you recently acquired super powers, you know how people are."

"I know. I wouldn't be surprised if I slept with Bishop before our escape thanks to your ex-fiancé."

Val laughed, "She is vindictive."

Lee, Val's father, and chief of the Apalates, for those of you who have forgotten, met us outside the house. He embraced Val in a fatherly hug, ignoring all formalities. He then pulled me to him for a hug, catching me by surprise.

"I'm glad you two are alright. Believe it or not, I was worried. Especially after seeing the news," Lee spoke.

The Apalates have special satellites to get cable, but they only get a few channels. Most didn't bother with a television, but it was Lee's duty as chief to know what was going on in the world.

Cielo finally got impatient and jumped out of the bag on my back. She landed gracefully on the cement platform that surrounded the mansion and jumped at Lee's leg. Due to her young age, she only reached his knees at full stretch.

"Who's this?" Lee asked petting Cielo's head as she wagged her tail tentatively.

"This is your first granddaughter, Cielo," Val explained.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Cielo," Lee spoke to the puppy as she attempted to lick his face.

A few weeks passed before Val finally proposed properly. He had bought a beautiful ring of garnet and diamonds incased in platinum gold while we were in Switzerland. How he kept it hidden from me, I don't know. Of course, I had to say yes upon pain of death. Or however that saying goes.

Vitoria was the only villager who was in contempt for our future union. Even I was excited. As she did twice before, she stormed to Val's quarters attached to the main house. Unfortunately, I was home by myself. Val was with his father, making wedding preparations.

"You stupid slut," Vitoria screeched, pushing her way through the door, "You home wrecking bitch!" She slapped me across the face.

"What is your problem?" I growled. It took all of my strength not to gouge her eyes out with my fingernails. "Why can't you see that Val hates you? That was the whole reason he kidnapped me in the first place!"

"He was supposed to marry _me_ not _you_! It doesn't matter if he loves me or not. You ruined my chances with Val! I would have ran this place right!"

"So that's all you want: power?"

"That's all that matters!"

"You greedy b-"

She caught me off guard and pushed me hard. I tripped over Cielo, who sat behind me, growling at the loud noise. I fell hard on the kitchen floor, hitting my head on the linoleum tile. Dazed, and still sore from my ribs, I didn't move.

"Don't worry, Sofia, you will be out of my way soon enough," she pulled out a pistol and aimed at my head.

"This isn't going to solve anything, Val will never marry you," I growled. Cielo tried to lick my face, making sure I was alright.

"He won't have a choice," Vitoria cooed darkly.

A loud whimper escaped from Cielo as a loud bang erupted. I lay on the floor in shock, unable to feel or hear anything. My limbs refused to move. Cielo whimpered in alarm beside me. I couldn't feel the bullet where ever it hit me. I just hoped Cielo was unscathed. But why was she whimpering?

Everything seemed to move in slow motion as the gun fell out of Vitoria's hands and her body fell to the floor. A bullet hole penetrated the center of her chest. But who shot her? I tried to check my hands for a gun, but I seemed to not be able to move.

Strong arms lifted me off the floor. Cielo's whimpers could still be heard from next to my ear. Oh, God, I hope she is alright. If you have it in your heart, God, to grant me one last thing, let it be that Cielo is alright. I will gladly take an eternity in hell if you give me this one thing.

"Sofia, you're hurting Cielo," Val's voice spoke softly.

I didn't realize I was holding her, let alone squeezing the life out of her. Somebody took Cielo out of my grasp. Lee held the pup close to him while she attacked his face with kisses.

"Are you alright?" Val asked, sitting in a chair with me on his lap.

"I'm just shaken up. What happened?" I asked looking at Vitoria's crumpled body. Blood pooled around her chest and head, it was beginning to spread to her feet.

"We were coming to get you for lunch when we heard Vitoria's voice. We walked in just as she was about to shoot you. Good thing Dad acted fast or it would have been you there," Val explained, kissing my face and hugging me close to his body as if I were going to float away.

"What now," I asked.

"Vitoria's family will be notified, of course, and her body taken to the morgue. A service will be held within a few days," Lee spoke. Cielo was still struggling to drown him with kisses.

Once word got out what had happened, the Village was in an uproar. They couldn't believe a member of their own would attempt to kill their future first lady. Though there was clear animosity toward Vitoria, everybody was in attendance at the funeral.

The sky was clear as we gathered in the meadow around a funeral pyre. Since there was no room for a graveyard, the villagers burned their dead as they did in ancient times.

Vitoria's parents stood closest to the pyre as Lee set it aflame. Vitoria had looked exactly like her mother, who cried in her husband's arms, trying desperately to quiet her sobs. Val, Lee, and I paid our respects to the Maselli's even though it was Lee who ended her life. As we approached, the sad couple glared at us. Tears flowed down the poor woman's face as she turned to look at Lee. A loud smack echoed over the crackling of the fire as she slapped him across the face.

Time passed quickly. Vitoria's parents opted to leave the village and move to Rome, where they fed us information of the world outside the mountains. I give them credit. If it were my daughter, Lee probably would have been dead. I wouldn't care if he had done it in defense of the future first lady. Then again, I would have done the same thing Lee had done, so I really couldn't have blamed him. In the end, I agree with the Maselli's choice, but I don't think I would have anything to do with the village.

Have you ever been so nervous about something that you dreaded it? Okay, I didn't have cold feet; in fact, I just wanted to run away. How contradicting. Of course, Val kept a close eye on me to insure that I didn't try to run.

July fourteenth crept up too quickly; the day Val and I got married. I didn't want a huge fiasco, but naturally, the whole village showed up. Even the people who chose to live in luxury in the outside world. Val's uncle Ralf was ecstatic to join us.

The ceremony was held in the field opposite the field we used for the pyre. There were no chairs lining the aisle; there were simply too many people. Instead, everybody stood. My aisle was a red carpet that was unrolled, just before my procession, by two young ushers. I felt like a Hollywood actress. I wore a simple summer dress; the Very same Val bought for me on the second day of my kidnapping. The white was just as bright and the red flowers were just as vibrant as they were on the rack. Val didn't care what I looked like, as long as I was present.

Cielo, at four months old, trotted down the aisle next to me, carrying the rings on a pillow attached to her collar. We tried to get her to walk in front of me, but she would keep stopping until I was next to her. She sat patiently next to us during the ceremony and licked Val's face and hands as he retrieved the rings. They were the very same he had bought on our first trip here.

As chief, Lee performed the ceremony. It didn't last very long; the village wasn't very religious. Sure they believed in a higher power, but following the Ten Commandments just wasn't possible in a village of assassins who killed for a living.

After the ceremony, we continued to celebrate with a barbeque and bon fire that lasted until dawn. One thing the Apalates kept from their Italian heritage was their love for celebrations.

For our honeymoon, we decided on a week's long camping trip to the hot springs. The summer air was warm during the day, perfect for spending it inside the tent while Cielo whined at the flap to come inside. The nights were cool, perfect for basking in the warm waters of the spring or cuddling by the fire roasting marshmallows and watching Cielo chase fireflies.

When we returned home, Val started his duties to learn how to run everything. Lee would step down as soon as Val's training was complete and retire to a house on the outskirts of town. He was thinking about teaching the new assassins at the compound Val trained me at.

Although Val was a chief in training, he was still required to go on missions. We were scheduled for a small assassination in Japan in August. Some made guy was getting out of line with the bosses. I wasn't sure the details. I wasn't very familiar with gang hierarchy. I just wanted to get in there and get out.

It was two days before we were supposed to leave and my menses was two weeks over due. I had secretly acquired a few pregnancy tests from the kind doctor who still lectured Val for chaining me to the bed. Both were positive.

Was I ready to have children? I was just getting my life together, just settling down and getting happy. It was another thing to add to the list of things in my life I didn't have a choice about.

I couldn't look at it like that. I didn't want to look at my child and see the chains that bound me here. I wanted to look at my child and feel complete. I knew Val and I would eventually have kids, it was just too soon.

I walked timidly into the bedroom, where Val packed our things. His hair was now down to his shoulders. It hung in black silky waves around his face. The bare muscles on his olive chest tensed and relaxed as he lifted our clothing.

"I can't go," I spoke softly, almost tearfully.

"It's not going to be like last time, I promise. If it is, I'll let you have that divorce you've been asking for since before you decided to actually marry me," His statement didn't help to lighten the mood.

I took a deep breath. There was no easy way to put it, so I just blurted it out, "I'm pregnant."

He dropped the clothes on the bed, forgotten, "Y-you-you're," he stammered.

"According to the tests, they're not always accurate."

Val let out a shout of excitement and lifted me off my feet, swinging me in a circle, then setting me back down, "Don't worry, we can send someone else on this assignment."

He began to rush about, unpacking our clothes for lack of a better thing to do. He was too excited to sit still.

"Val," I sobered the mood, "We're going to need a bigger place."

Val threw the clothes on the bed, once again forgotten, scooped me in his arms, and kissed me in every spot his lips could find.

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	28. Character Profiles

Binkybaby, allisongenovese, FreeSpirit329, Just As Sweet, rocktheroxie - Thank you, also I don't have any plans for a sequel, but you never know

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Sicario – Character Profiles

**Apalates:**Hidden village of assassins located in Appalachian Mountains in Northern Italy.

**Name:** Sofia Dominiquea Bianchi

**Age:** 20** Height:** 5'1** Role: **Main character

**Hair: **Dark brown/ long** Weight: **105Ib

**Eyes: **Sienna** Birthday: **April 16, 1987

**Name:** Valerian Charles Giovanni

**Age: **24** Height: **6'0** Role: **Assassin/ Heir to chief of Apalates

**Hair: **Black/ Ear length** Weight: **180Ib

**Eyes: **Amber** Birthday: **January 23, 1983

**Name:** Leonardo (Lee) Antonio Giovanni

**Age:** 57** Height: **6'0** Role:** Chief of Apalates/ Valerian's father

**Hair: **Black/short** Weight:** 180

**Eyes: **Amber** Birthday:** Unknown

**Name:** Austin (Austie) Phillip Bianchi

**Age:** 27** Height: **5'9** Role:** Sofia's Brother

**Hair: **Light Brown** Weight:** 170

**Eyes: **Greenish-brown** Birthday: **Unknown

**Name:** Martin Vincent Bishop

**Age: **57** Height: **5'8** Role:** Mob Boss

**Hair:** Salt & Pepper/ Short** Weight:** Heavy set

**Eyes: **Chocolate** Birthday:** Unknown

**Name:** Vitoria Lucetta Maselli

**Age:** 22** Height: **5'3** Role:** Valerian's betrothed

**Hair:** Chestnut/long** Weight:** 120

**Eyes:** Almond** Birthday:** Unknown

**Horses:**

**Thor:** Ridden by Sofia

Black with white blaze and feathers

**Ginger: **Ridden by Valerian

Chestnut with white feathers and spot between eyes

**Daisy: **Packhorse

Palomino with white blaze and feathers


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